Darkness Round The Sun
by missingstars89
Summary: Caroline Forbes navigates life's events alongside her best friend Klaus Mikaelson. They have an indescribable connection that they thought would never change. But as life throws unexpected events, everything changes including their connection and Caroline knows one thing for sure: nothing will ever be the same again.
1. Chapter 1-Darkness Round the Sun

**Darkness Round The Sun**

"_Live your life, where you are now_

_In the darkness round the sun _

_There's light behind your eyes_

_When you've lost the will to run_

_You can feel it start to shine_

_When the rain falls down so hard_

_And you don't know where to start…"_

"Get up! Get up! _Now_!"

Caroline Forbes awoke with a start at the sound of her older sister banging on her door. She glanced at her alarm clock on her nightstand and groaned into her pillow.

"Are you up yet?"

"It's 7 am Kitty!" Caroline yelled.

She buried her head underneath another pillow as she heard her sister barge into her room.

"Come on Care you promised you were coming with me" Her sister pleaded.

Caroline groaned again and rolled over as she felt her sister sit on the bed next to her. She slowly picked up her head and looked up at her older sister who was looking down at her with a pleading smile. Caroline could never deny her sister when she was giving the look she was giving her now. She noticed that she had already curled her long brown locks into perfect curls. Her long dark eyelashes were perfectly curled as well and they brought out her sky blue eyes.

"It's not fair that you look this good in the morning" Caroline said with a laugh.

"Do you really mean it?" Kitty asked nervously.

Caroline rolled her eyes and threw the comforter off her as she sat up.

"Yes, you're beautiful and your future in-laws are going to love you" Caroline said with a laugh.

"Oh don't! Don't even start saying that or you'll jinx it for me!" Kitty said furiously shaking her head with a small laugh.

"Yes, because David could ever walk away from you, the guy worships the ground you walk on!" Caroline answered walking over to her dresser to pick out her outfit.

Caroline was accompanying her elder sister Katie, or as her friends and family called her, Kitty, to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time. Caroline laughed to herself as she thought about how early her sister had been up to get ready for this meeting.

"I thought the lunch was oh, I don't know, around lunch time?" Caroline asked.

"Yes but we still need to catch the train out to the city to pick up a few things for the dinner," Kitty reminded her.

Caroline grimaced a little. She hated going to the city with her sister who was prone to paranoia and would usually swear that somebody was following them.

"Hurry, we need to be at the train station in less than an hour," Kitty said walking out of the room.

Caroline walked over to her phone and texted her best friend.

_Change of plans. Heading to the city & then out to the suburbs for a fancy lunch with Kitty's in-laws. Have fun at breakfast & don't do anything I wouldn't do!_

An hour later, Caroline and Kitty were sitting side-by-side on the train. Caroline was flipping through a magazine while her sister kept anxiously looking at her phone.

"Kitty stop fidgeting" Caroline said after a few minutes.

"Sorry I'm just so nervous. I want everything to be perfect" Kitty said nervously.

"I understand you're nervous but you really need to calm down. Everything will be fine" Caroline answered.

"What if they-" Kitty started.

"What if they don't like you?" Caroline interrupted her with a smile. "Then they're fools and you're better off without them."

"They're David's parents" Kitty said seriously.

"Yeah, but they're not David and you already got him to fall in love with you so I think you're all set," Caroline responded. "All any parent should care about is that their child is happy right?"

The rest of the train ride went by smoothly. They made small talk but Caroline could sense that her sister was still anxious and it was starting to make her anxious too. Caroline almost sighed in relief when the train finally pulled into the station. They both got off the train and worked their way through the small crowd to find a taxi. They were almost at the exit when Caroline heard someone calling her name.

"Caroline! Care!" called a familiar voice through the crowd.

Caroline turned around and smiled as she saw her best friend walking towards them.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were having breakfast with your mom?" Caroline asked.

She had a feeling she already knew the response she was going to get from her best friend. She knew him too well after having been friends with him for seven years.

"I picked up on your not so subtle invite to join you this morning so there was a slight change of plans" he responded with a smirk and wink.

"Hey Klaus" Kitty greeted.

"Good morning Kitty, big day today," he responded with a big smile.

Caroline swatted him in the arm and glared at him.

"What Klaus means to say is that today is an exciting day, yay!" Caroline said with a big smile and tried to ignore Klaus who laughed a little at this.

"I'm going to try and catch us a cab" Kitty said to them with a small smile.

"There's no need Kitty, I drove here. I'm parked this way" Klaus said leading the way.

"So what happened with your mom? Did you bail on her?" Caroline asked falling into step with him.

"I told you, I picked up on your message so I simply called her and told her I needed to reschedule," Klaus shrugged innocently.

"Okay first off, I was not giving you any 'subtle messages' I was just letting you know _I _wasn't going to be joining you guys. Second, you don't reschedule on breakfast with your mom who flew out here to visit you!" Caroline exclaimed loudly.

"It's fine Caroline. She understood I needed to help a friend out and graciously accepted to meet us for dinner instead since you already have plans for a fancy lunch and whatnot" he said with an innocent smile.

"Are you serious?" Caroline asked even louder. "How do you know I don't already have plans for tonight? And why do you refuse to meet your mom on your own? I can't be your buffer forever you know."

"You're not a buffer sweetheart, think of yourself as more of a mediator" Klaus said with a smirk. "And do you have plans for tonight?" he asked, the amusement evident in his voice.

_Damn him knowing me too well._

"I do actually" she responded confidently.

"Oh really? Do tell" he responded with his trademark smirk.

"I have dinner plans with a hot date that end with a luxurious candlelit bubble bath" she responded.

"Sounds like quite the night. Who is this hot date?" he asked amusedly.

"Nobody you know." Caroline answered looking around at her sister who was rolling her eyes listening in on their conversation.

"Well do you think your hot date could spare you for a portion of the night? Tell him I'll return you home nice and fed and all he has to worry about is the bubble bath. I'll even throw in dessert," Klaus said with that same smirk on his face.

"You don't really believe I have a date tonight do you?" Caroline asked trying her best to sound indignant.

"I have no doubt Caroline" he responded with a laugh.

"Liar!" she exclaimed with a laugh.

"I just find it a little odd that I've never heard of this hot date before now" he said shrugging.

She simply laughed and kept walking alongside him.

"Please Caroline, what do I need to do to get you to come with me tonight?" Klaus asked pleadingly.

"How did you manage your mother before me?" Caroline asked.

"Not well, which is why I need you. Please I'll owe you one" Klaus said looking at her with his irresistible smolder.

"Fine but you do owe me. You owe me big" Caroline conceded already dreading having to interact with his mother, even if it was just for a dinner.

She laughed as he literally picked her up and spun her around once.

"You're my hero Forbes" he said as he put her back down.

Caroline caught her sister looking at them with a grin she quickly tried to hide. Although curious, Caroline didn't have time to ask her about it as they reached the car and Kitty gave Klaus directions on where to go.

"So who was this hot date tonight? Mr. Daniels or Mr. Cuervo?" Klaus asked her with a wicked grin.

"Sorry, I'm not one to kiss and tell" she responded smugly.

After an hour and a half of running errands around the city with her sister, Caroline was growing impatient and was even more thankful that Klaus had joined them.

"So why don't you take your latest bimbo to dinner with your mom tonight anyway?" Caroline asked him.

They both sat outside a small shop waiting for Kitty. Since she had insisted they didn't have time to stop for breakfast, her and Klaus were sharing a bagel they had bought off a food vendor.

"You sound like a jealous ex Caroline," he chuckled.

"I am jealous" she responded.

She couldn't help but laugh as she saw him look at her seriously, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm jealous that she gets to avoid the wrath of your mother and I don't," she said.

Klaus laughed and shook his head.

"That's exactly why I can't take her. My mother has the power to scare away just about anybody I care about," he said seriously.

Caroline looked at him and tried to hide her frown. She had not missed that he admitted he cared about this girl, a girl Caroline was not entirely fond of. She thought he could do so much better. He deserved so much better.

"You seem to be the only exception" he said giving her a genuine smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"I'm the only one that doesn't need your protection from your mom?" Caroline teased.

"Exactly, you're the only who's tough enough to handle my mother" he responded with a grin.

Caroline rolled her eyes and shook her head and then felt his hand on top of hers.

"You're also the only one who's been crazy enough to stick by my side despite everything," he said quietly.

She looked him in the eyes and knew he was being sincere. He wasn't often open with her like this but it was during these moments that Caroline knew just how much he appreciated her and she knew she would never be able to walk away from him. Their friendship had been off to a rocky start, mostly because he had tried to shove his tongue down her throat the night her met her in his drunken stupor, but they slowly realized they had more in common than they thought, and slowly they built up a solid friendship. She trusted him more than anybody else she knew, with the exception of her sister but even then, she sometimes felt that her sister didn't understand some things the way Klaus did. They had both been weathered different storms together and Caroline was pretty sure she would do just about anything for him. Obviously, she was having dinner with his mother again, she thought to herself.

She sighed silently as she thought about how her friend Katherine had teased her about Klaus for a couple of years. Katherine believed that Klaus and Caroline would end up getting together in the future and would often make Caroline blush when she would start teasing her about Klaus' ridiculously good looks. If she were being honest, she had to admit Klaus was very attractive. He was taller than her with a lean muscled body, short curly dirty-blond hair, deep blue eyes, chiseled jaw covered in stubble and a smile that always made Caroline's day. And don't even get her started on the accent. But after a while, Katherine gave up the teasing. Klaus had not made a move on Caroline since the night he met her and even then, it was only because he had been drunk.

"Earth to Caroline," Klaus said waving his hand in front of her face, effectively snapping her out of her trance.

"What were you saying?" Caroline asked a little embarrassed.

"What were you thinking about?" Klaus asked with a small laugh.

"I was mentally going through my closet trying to pick out a dress for tonight and then I started wondering if this dress is appropriate for lunch, and then I started mentally berating myself for agreeing to go to this stupid lunch with my sister and all these snobby people who let's face it, don't give a damn about me being there," she lied quickly.

Well, it was more of a half-lie. While she hadn't been thinking about that, once she started saying those things, she quickly grew frustrated because it was all true. She wanted to tell him just how much she was dreading meeting with his mom and having to endure an hour of being ridiculed with snide remarks and backhanded compliments, but she didn't have the heart to do that after what he had just told her.

"Don't worry love, you look beautiful and tonight isn't anything formal so just wear whatever you feel most comfortable in" Klaus said giving her a reassuring smile.

Caroline snorted.

"Oh yeah right. Your mom is going to be judging me the second she lays eyes on me. I can't very well go dressed in my favorite sweat pants now can I?" she asked with an incredulous stare.

"Yeah, it might be best if you steered clear from your 'Love Pink' wardrobe though you would look lovely either way," he responded with a laugh.

"You don't have to kiss my ass Mikaelson. I already agreed to go with you. Now come on, I think it's time we go in there and rescue the poor employee from Kitty" Caroline said getting up.

"Why can't you ever accept my compliments?" Klaus asked getting up to follow her.

"Because as much as I love you, I also know you can be full of shit," she responded with a smirk.

"True, but never when it comes to you Caroline" he responded with a playful smile.

"Point proven" she replied with a laugh.

xxxxxxxxx

Caroline walked around the large hotel terrace overlooking a beautiful lake. Kitty had ditched her a while ago, right after she was introduced to David's parents. Caroline was introduced to them as well and she had liked them. She could see where David got his kindness. They had insisted Kitty meet the rest of the family and see the room where the wedding was being held. Caroline had stayed behind to give her time to interact with them on her own. After sitting in the hotel lobby by herself for a while, she finally decided to get up and look around the hotel. She had thought about calling Klaus but knew he was having lunch with his new girlfriend. Thinking about his new girlfriend annoyed her more than she would ever admit.

She now stood by herself looking at the beautiful location where David's sister was going to be getting married the next day. David had invited her to the wedding but Caroline was thinking up some excuse not to come. She didn't want to be a third wheel and her friends were otherwise occupied. Caroline had originally intended to ask Klaus, but didn't feel that would go over too well with his new girlfriend. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice when someone approached her.

"Hello," said the stranger. "I'm sorry to disturb you but my aunt insisted I come introduce myself" he said, gesturing behind him to the group that had walked back to the hotel lobby. Kitty was with them.

"They also wanted me to let you know we are going to be seated at the restaurant now," he said with a smile.

Caroline looked at the stranger and couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. _He's almost as good-looking as Klaus _she thought to herself. Caroline quickly brushed that thought aside. He was tall and built, with short blonde hair and sky blue eyes like her sister's.

"My name is Caroline," she said with a bright smile, extending her hand to shake his. "I'm Kitty's, sorry Katie's, sister."

"I'm Matt," he responded with a blinding smile, shaking her hand. "I'm David's & Vicky's cousin."

"It's nice to meet you Matt," Caroline said with the same bright smile.

"Likewise," he responded. "Shall we?" he asked gesturing back to the group who was working their way to the hotel restaurant.

They walked back together, making small talk about each other. Caroline learned that Matt had just moved to town because he had gotten a job in the city working at his uncle's law firm. When he asked about her, she sheepishly replied that she was in between jobs. She felt embarrassed to admit that she was working part-time at the local boutique and interning full-time at a popular fashion magazine. She was 24 years old. People expected her to be working full-time or have some "realistic" plan about her future. She had graduated with a degree in fashion design and that's exactly what she wanted to do, no matter how long it took. Unfortunately, it was taking a little longer than she originally anticipated.

The lunch went smoothly and Caroline was happy to see her sister relaxed and enjoying herself. Just as she had expected, David's family loved her. After the lunch, they walked out with David and were waiting in the front for the valet to bring his car around when Matt joined them.

"So will I be seeing you ladies tonight at the rehearsal dinner?" he asked them with a smile.

"You'll be seeing me but I'm afraid my sister has other plans" Kitty replied looking at Caroline with that same grin she had seen earlier with Klaus.

"What could you possibly have going on that's more exciting than seeing us rehearse how to walk down the aisle and how to stand?" Matt joked.

"I told a friend I would help him out with something" Caroline answered sheepishly. _Instead of getting to scope out this eye candy for a couple of hours, I get to have dinner with someone who has the personality of poisoned honey _she thought to herself.

"Well, if you get done early, maybe you can join us for the after party" he responded with his blinding smile.

"Sure, sounds like a plan" Caroline answered, mirroring his smile.

Just then the valet pulled David's car around so they said bye to Matt and drove away.

"My cousin was excited to meet you," David said from the driver's seat.

Caroline looked up to see who he was talking to and saw him looking at her through the rearview mirror with an undeniable smile on his face.

"He was nice," Caroline said simply, not knowing what else to say.

David passed his phone back to her so that she could see the message.

"_Would it be inappropriate to ask you for Caroline's number?"_

Caroline felt herself blush as she read the message.

"He sent it as soon as we got in the car" David said looking at her. "What should I tell him?"

Caroline hesitated for a second not knowing what to do. For some reason, she wanted to call Klaus and ask him what he thought but quickly brushed that thought aside, thinking how silly she was being. Matt was simply asking for her number and she didn't have to consult Klaus on everything. Without giving it another thought, she typed in her phone number and hit 'send'. She handed David his phone back, still blushing.

"Well then," David said with a small laugh as he looked down at his phone.

Caroline saw her sister turn to look at her with an expression that appeared somewhat confused. She made a mental note to ask her sister about it once David wasn't there.

A few minutes later, Caroline felt her phone vibrate in her purse. She pulled it out and read the message.

"_Hi Caroline, this is Matt. I hope you don't mind I asked David for your number but it's not everyday I meet someone like you. I really help I get to see you tonight."_

Caroline smiled and felt herself blush again as she read the message. She was replying back to him when she got another incoming text.

"_Had to pull a few strings, but I think you'll be very happy with the dress I picked out for dinner tonight. Hopefully it's as comfortable as your favorite pair of sweatpants. Can't wait to hear all about your fancy lunch."_

"Is that Matt messaging you already?" David asked from the front seat, laughter evident in his voice.

"Yes, he was simply saying it was nice to meet me" Caroline answered.

"Well looks like you'll have to tell Klaus that maybe Mr. Daniels and Mr. Cuervo may not be your hot date after all," Kitty said.

Caroline looked at her sister and then looked down at the message he sent again. For some reason she couldn't explain, Caroline felt a little guilty and found herself somewhat dreading having to tell Klaus about Matt. Again, she brushed the thought aside telling herself she had nothing to feel guilty about. She had done nothing wrong, Klaus and her were only friends and he was happy with his new girlfriend. Yet for some reason, she still felt uneasy.

"Speaking of which" Kitty said as they pulled into their driveway.

Caroline saw Klaus standing from where he had been sitting on their porch as he saw them pull in. He smiled at her as she got out of the car.

"Hey David," Klaus greeted as they all walked toward the house.

"Hi Klaus" David said smiling at him.

"How was lunch?" Klaus asked with a smirk looking at her.

"It was nice, I got to see where the wedding will be and I got the satisfaction of getting Kitty 'I told you so' when everyone loved her," Caroline answered.

"And she also caught my cousin's attention," David added with a grin looking at her. "He didn't even wait for us to pull out of the hotel parking lot before he was asking me for her number."

Caroline glared at David wanting nothing more than to smack him.

"Oh really?" Klaus asked with a smirk that did not match the hard expression he got in his eyes. "I told you you look beautiful today sweetheart. Guess now I'm the one to get the satisfaction of saying 'I told you so'?"

Caroline looked at him trying to figure out what she was hearing in his voice. _So much for knowing him so well_ she thought to herself.

"Well, I have to run and get some things for the dinner tonight. I'll pick you up later Kitty," David said giving Kitty a quick kiss before turning to look at Caroline.

"Hopefully I see you later at the 'after party' as my cousin called it. I know he's looking forward to seeing you there too," David said with a smile giving her a quick hug.

"Yeah, we'll see," Caroline said giving him a small smile.

"Guess you weren't kidding about that hot date tonight then?" Klaus asked with a tight voice as they watched David get into his car.

Caroline couldn't help but roll her eyes. Kitty gave her a tentative smile and walked inside the house.

"I just met the guy Klaus, I would hardly consider him my 'hot date'" she answered annoyed.

"What would you consider him?" Klaus asked with a smirk that again did not match his tone or eyes.

"I don't consider him anything, like I said, I just met the guy," she answered crossing her arms defensively.

She was getting very annoyed with Klaus' attitude. Neither one got to say anything else because just then, her sister walked outside.

"Dad called three times while we were out," Kitty said, apprehension in her voice.

"Why didn't he try us on our cells?" Caroline asked confused.

"He left a message saying it was nothing to worry about he and mom want to meet with us Sunday to discuss something," Kitty said. "I don't believe it's nothing Care."

"I'm sure it's fine Kitty, if it were an emergency, they wouldn't wait until Sunday to talk to us," Caroline tried to reassure her sister. "Don't worry about it, we'll call mom and dad right now but I'm sure it's nothing. Go start getting dressed for the dinner, we both know it takes you forever to get ready and tonight you can't have David waiting for you." Caroline finished with a smile.

Kitty nodded and went back inside.

"You're worried too aren't you?" Klaus asked silently next to her.

"No…maybe. A little," Caroline admitted. "It's not like them to call like this."

"You don't have to come tonight, I understand if you want to see them," he said gently.

"Thank you but it's okay. I know my parents, if it were something terrible, they would've asked to see us today. I'll give them a call and it'll be okay," she said with a small smile.

She sighed as she felt Klaus pull her into a warm embrace. He was not a very affectionate person but he made the exception with her.

Caroline was more worried than she was letting on but at the moment she couldn't help to feel anything except safety. She felt safe in his arms and was very thankful that he was here with her. It was moments like these that reminded her why she could never walk away from him. It was also moments like these that terrified her she might not ever have this connection with anyone else again.

**Thanks for reading! This is a story that I collaborated on ideas with a very close friend of mine that I wrote about a year ago. I found the documents on an old flash drive and was very excited so I thought I would share with you guys! I may make a few changes here and there, but for the most part this story is already written so updates should come more regularly than my other story that really is a work in progress. Since I just have to upload the documents, it should also not detract from my other story either if any of you guys read that one. This story is also a little more personal for me since some events are loosely based on personal experiences so that's where I drew some inspiration from. Anyway, as you guys can probably see, this story is nothing like the show but I did pull the characters from the show and added a few additional characters I came up with. Well, that's enough of a note I think! Let me know what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2-Just Breathe

**Thank you Mystery Girl3 & MrsLeaMorgan for the reviews and thank you to everyone who followed & faved! I'm excited to see you guys are enjoying it and it means a lot to read your reviews and know people are following your story! So thanks again! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or any of its characters. **

**I had someone message me and ask if we will be seeing the rest of the Mystic Falls gang (Elena, Stefan, Damon, etc.) and the answer is yes you will they will all just make their appearances throughout the following chapters. Also, yes, Klaus does have his siblings in this story so expect to see them too. Anyway, I made a few changes to the original chapter and tried to check for errors but alas I am not perfect, so please forgive any errors! Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**"_Oh my look at those eyes,_**

**_Look at the trouble that they hide inside,_**

**_I see the flicker of a pain on the rise…_**

**_Oh my look at these times_**

**_But look at who's right beside you_**

**_When you're alone barely holding on…_**

**_You're not alone in the dark…"_**

Caroline finished pinning up Kitty's hair and smiled at her through the mirror.

"Well at least one of us is drop dead gorgeous," Caroline told her with a bright smile.

"Must the conversation always be about you?" Kitty teased.

Caroline laughed and walked over to get more hairspray from the vanity area.

"Oh please, you just have to turn and look at a guy and he's literally tripping over you. Give them the time of day and I wouldn't be surprised if they're dropping on one knee," Caroline teased her back.

"Right uh huh, that's why I have guys messaging David asking for my number after one encounter," Kitty said looking at her.

"Well if any guy was stupid enough to contact _your boyfriend_ to ask for your number…" Caroline said with a laugh.

"You know what I meant," Kitty said with a laugh. "And what about that first day you met Klaus?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

"He was a drunken mess that night," Caroline answered, not sure why her sister was bringing that up.

Quiet frankly, it irritated Caroline how strongly he had come on to her that night. Sure, he was attractive but she wasn't easy either and hated being treated like she was.

"True, but that drunken mess wouldn't leave your side all night and neither would his eyes," Kitty said turning around to look at her head on.

"I think your memory is a little foggy Kitty," Caroline said with a laugh, refusing to ponder her sister's words.

Kitty looked at her with a contemplative expression and simply nodded.

"What's that look for?" Caroline asked her, frowning slightly.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Kitty said standing up and walking toward her room. "David will be here soon, I should finish getting dressed."

Caroline remained where she was, looking at her sister and trying to figure out all her cryptic looks she had been giving throughout the day.

"So you talked to Dad and he seemed fine?" Kitty asked from her room.

"Yes, he seemed normal, so did mom" Caroline answered walking toward Kitty's room. "They said they just wanted to run something by us, that it was nothing to worry about."

"And you believe them?" Kitty asked turning around for Caroline to zip up her dress.

"I think so. I mean, they seem fine, and if it was something bad why wait to tell us?" Caroline reasoned.

"You're probably right," Kitty said with a small smile. "They could've just said that in their message without being so cryptic."

Caroline let out a small laugh and nodded her head.

"How do I look?" Kitty asked a little nervously.

"I would be careful if I were you, David might just drop down on one knee tonight the moment he lays eyes on you," Caroline said with a laugh.

Kitty rolled her eyes and laughed.

"So what time is your dinner tonight?" Kitty asked her.

"Klaus is picking me up in an hour," Caroline answered unenthusiastically.

"Please sister, try to contain your excitement" Kitty said sarcastically. "Are you and Klaus fighting or something?"

"No everything is fine. I mean, he was being a brat earlier but I'm over it. It's not him that's bothering me, it's his wonderful mother," Caroline huffed.

"Yes, I remember her all too well. Very pleasant woman" Kitty said with more sarcasm.

"I don't think the word 'pleasant' and that woman even belong in the same sentence," Caroline said shuddering.

"I don't understand why you always agree to go to these meetings with her. No offense Care but it seems like they're more trouble than they're worth," Kitty said seriously.

"I only do it for Klaus. Trust me, if not for him, there is no way in hell I would go near that woman," Caroline said. "But she's still Klaus' mother so I keep hoping they can have some type of relationship and if I can help out in any way, then I will. I just want him to be happy."

"How do you know that having a relationship with his mom is going to make him happy? He clearly dreads meeting alone with her, it's why he always brings you along," her sister said.

"Yeah but he still always goes and his mom is still trying to reach out so that has to count for something right?" Caroline asked. "I guess I should just be thankful that she's not my mother-in-law" she added shaking her head.

"That reminds me, I thought you said Klaus has a new girlfriend. Why isn't she going with him?" Kitty asked.

"Because she's too precious to face his mother's poisoned darts that are her words," Caroline said bitingly.

She didn't know whether she should be annoyed or flattered that Klaus only allowed her to face his mother instead of his girlfriends.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Kitty said with a laugh.

Caroline was about to respond with a witty remark when she heard a knock on the door. She walked over to answer it and smiled as she opened the door and saw David standing in a suit and holding a small bouquet of flowers Kitty.

"Hey David," Caroline said smiling and opening the door further for him to come inside.

He returned the greeting with a smile and a hug.

"So what happened to helping your friend out?" he asked with a smile. "Or was that just some excuse to get out of seeing my cousin?"

"Do you think that low of me?" Caroline responded with a laugh.

Just then, Kitty walked into the room and Caroline smiled widely at how David looked at her sister. There was more than lust in his eyes, there were passion and love as well, and they were also written all over his face. She turned away in the direction of the kitchen as he walked over to Kitty to kiss her. Caroline walked to the freezer and pulled out a pint of her favorite _Ben & Jerry's _ice cream flavor and sat on the kitchen counter to start eating it.

"_What must it be like to have someone look at you like that? _" she wondered to herself.

Nobody had ever looked at her like that, not even her previous boyfriends. She saw the lust sure, but she never saw that love or passion. Caroline scowled at herself for thinking about these things and quickly put the ice cream away and walked toward her room to start getting ready.

"Bye Care, good luck with dinner" Kitty said as she put her coat on.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it" Caroline answered. "Have fun tonight."

"Let us know if you get done early and need to be picked up," David told her.

Caroline agreed and waved bye to them one more time and walked to her room to start getting ready, realizing she was already behind on schedule. Walking into her room, she immediately noticed the dress Klaus had given her earlier and smiled again admiring how beautiful it was. It was a black and tan lace cocktail dress that fell a little above her knees. It had a beautiful floral print on it and had two thick shoulder straps that were also just the lace material, showing her skin underneath. It had a deep plunge that made Caroline a little nervous to wear it in front of Klaus' mother. The dress was fitted and hugged her curves perfectly. Caroline had to admit that the dress was pretty sexy and maybe even a little too risqué to wear in front of his mother but she loved the dress and Klaus had gone through all that trouble to get it for her so she brushed her insecurities aside and decided to wear it.

To accentuate the straps of the dress, she decided to pull her hair back in a loose bun and put on a pair of black teardrop earrings. She decided to put on light makeup, mostly focusing on highlighting her eyes with dark eyeliner and her lips with a nude pink lipstick to bring her look together. She threw on her favorite pair of black pumps that further elongated her legs to complete her look.

Standing in front of the mirror, she felt self-conscious all of a sudden and understood her sister's nerves from earlier. _Except she has reason to be nervous, I don't. I'm just meeting with Klaus and his mother _she thought.

Caroline sighed and heard a knock at the door. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she went to answer the door.

"Good evening," Klaus said standing at the door.

She felt self-conscious as she saw Klaus take in her appearance from head to toe. She thought she saw a look cross his face but it was gone as soon as it came.

"Am I dressed up to your mother's standards?" she asked nervously.

He met her gaze and Caroline felt herself blush for some reason she couldn't explain.

"Forget about my mother. You look absolutely beautiful sweetheart," he said with an odd intensity in his voice that made Caroline look away because she felt her face grow three shades deeper.

"I'm just going to get my purse," Caroline called out over her shoulder as she quickly walked away to her room.

_Pull yourself together Caroline, it's just Klaus!_

She was straightening out her dress and walked out to meet Klaus. She looked at him and realized she had not paid attention to what he was wearing when she first opened the door. He looked incredibly handsome in his black suit and white button-up that was unbuttoned at the top. He had fixed his hair the way she loved and Caroline was pleased to see that he had not shaved his stubble.

"Am I dressed up to my mother's standards?" he asked with a smirk.

She laughed a little embarrassed that he had caught her openly checking him out.

"Your shirt's a little wrinkled," she teased.

He raised his eyebrows and smirked.

She went to get her coat from the coat rack and was a little surprised when Klaus got it first and held it out for her to stick her arms in.

"Thank you," she said a little flustered.

"Shall we?" he asked holding out his arm to her.

She linked her arm with his and walked out feeling a very bittersweet feeling. This would've been a perfect beginning to a romantic date but romantic and date were far from being words that could describe Caroline's current situation.

She fidgeted nervously with her hands and looked out the window as Klaus drove silently to the restaurant. She could tell by how tense his jaw was that he was very anxious for this dinner.

"So what happened to nothing formal?" she asked playfully, trying to ease his tension.

"What?" he asked, turning to look at her with a confused expression.

"You said earlier that it was nothing formal but judging by the way you're dressed, we're not having dinner at the local diner," she responded.

"Oh," he said with a small laugh. "Well, today just seems to be the day that all original plans went to hell. After I picked out your dress, I called my mother to let her know there was another a change of plans" he finished with a smirk.

"You changed the location because of my dress?" she asked incredulously.

"It would be criminal for you not to wear it, so certain adjustments had to be made. I think you would've felt overdressed at our local diner like you said, and it simply wouldn't have been fair to the other women's self-esteem who were there," he said with his usual smirk.

Caroline shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I bet your mom is thrilled to have dinner with her son at a fancier restaurant," she said.

"Like I said, forget about my mother" he answered.

"It's kind of hard to when she's kind of the reason I'm here," she answered.

"And here I thought you were here for me," he said with feigned distress.

"Sorry you had to find out this way," she said with a laugh.

They pulled into the restaurant parking lot and Klaus quickly got out to open the door for her. She accepted his hand to help her out of the car and looked around at the outside of the restaurant. She had never been here before.

"This is very fancy," Caroline whispered to Klaus.

"A fancy lunch and a fancy dinner all in one day?" Klaus smirked.

She became aware of the fact that she was still holding his hand and quickly let go, pretending to look away at the fountain in front of the entrance.

"You ready?" he asked next to her.

"As I'll ever be," she responded with a sigh.

He offered her his arm again and she took it again feeling a wave of relief for some reason.

"Thanks again for doing this Caroline," Klaus whispered into her ear as they walked into the restaurant.

Caroline was thankful for the dim lighting in the restaurant because she felt a shiver run down her spine and her cheeks color a little after Klaus had whispered in her ear but she sincerely hoped he had not seen it.

They were seated instantly and Caroline took the opportunity to glance around the inside of the restaurant while Klaus ordered their drinks. It was beautifully decorated with intricate gold decorations along the walls and ceiling.

All of a sudden, Caroline felt a little self-conscious being at a place like this with Klaus. This was the type of place you came with your significant other, not your best friend.

"I'm surprised my mother isn't here yet," Klaus said interrupting her from her thoughts. "She never misses an opportunity to be as early as possible and make you feel guilty for making her wait so long."

"Well looks like you have the advantage this time," Caroline responded with a smile.

She caught her breath as he took her hand that was on top of the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Having you here with me is the only advantage I need love," he said with that rare genuine smile that drove Caroline crazy.

"Niklaus, Caroline," came a cold voice next to them. "Sorry am I interrupting something?"

Caroline instantly pulled her hand away from Klaus' as they both stood to greet his mother.

"Mother, nice of you to join us." Klaus said sarcastically as he pulled out her seat.

"Please son, don't act like you were bothered by my tardiness. It seems like you had the perfectly charming Miss Forbes to keep you entertained," she said with a smile although she shot a deathly glare at Caroline as she said this.

"And might I add how lovely you look even if your dress does leave little to the imagination," Ester said with a fake smile.

Caroline had to literally bite her tongue to keep from telling her exactly what was on her mind.

"Perhaps you would like to have this dinner alone mother?" Klaus replied angrily.

"It's fine Klaus," Caroline said quietly trying her best to appear calm even though she was angry.

"My apologies Caroline, please know I meant no offense by my comment. It's just that during my time women were a lot more conservative, I am simply still not accustomed to today's fashion," Ester said innocently.

Caroline had to refrain from rolling her eyes. She knew Ester was far from being sincere with her "apology" but she reminded herself she was here for Klaus and if she gave in, she would only make things worst. She simply nodded with a small smile.

Thankfully, the waiter came at that moment to take their order and bring them their drinks.

"So Niklaus tell me, what is new with you?" Ester asked sweetly.

"Not much to tell," Klaus answered tensely taking a sip from his glass of wine.

"What news of the company?" she asked eyeing him from above her own glass.

"The usual. Elijah is managing the stocks well and our investors keep on investing," he answered in the same tone.

"Your brother told me he offered you a promotion as vice president but you declined?" she asked with a disapproving undertone.

Caroline took a big sip of her drink, already knowing the direction this conversation was heading in. It was not a good one.

"It's not a position I'm suited for," Klaus answered simply becoming visibly annoyed.

"I'm afraid your brother and I have to disagree Niklaus. You are a Mikaelson, your name is on the company building. You were born to lead," she said a little loudly.

"Perhaps I don't want to," Klaus snapped.

Caroline could see he was already dangerously close to losing his patience.

"So what do you want to do then? Waste your time chasing some silly dream of becoming an artist?" Ester snapped back.

"Klaus donated three paintings to the Children's Fundraiser this year and they were top earners," Caroline said, trying to control the anger in her voice.

She despised how Ester was always trying to kick Klaus down for chasing his dream, especially when painting is what truly brought him alive.

"I have no doubt of my son's talent and that he could make some income of it but is it a safe and reliable income?" Ester said harshly to her before turning back to Klaus.

"You are 28 years old, how long before you stop with this juvenile obsession and start taking responsibility for your own life?" she asked condescendingly.

"How old were you before you took responsibility of your own children?" he nearly yelled, anger evident in his features and voice.

Ester looked at him with an appalled expression and turned away from him.

Caroline was looking at Klaus who was refusing to meet her gaze, his jaw set in anger.

"Listen I know it's not my place but I think it would be a waste to spend this entire dinner fighting. Maybe we could talk about something else and try to enjoy this time together?" Caroline asked, trying to ease the heavy tension that had settled the moment Ester came up to the table.

"My dear girl you are very right in saying this is not your place, this is a family matter. I came here to have dinner and enjoy the limited time I have with my son and somehow I managed to have to put up with the likes of you, but I don't know why I'm surprised seeing as to how that always seems to be the case," Ester answered coldly.

"No need to worry mother, you can enjoy your dinner alone," Klaus said angrily as he stood up and walked around behind Caroline's chair.

"You will really leave your own mother alone at a restaurant over some girl who is dressed in something appropriate for a whore-house?" Ester asked indignant, rage covering her features.

Caroline slammed her glass down on the table loudly and walked away before she said things she would regret later…maybe. She kept walking until she was outside, feeling the need for fresh air to help her control her rage. She was literally shaking because of how angry she was.

"_That stupid bitch! Who the hell does she think she is?" _Caroline thought to herself.

Caroline was hit by a cool breeze and realized she forgot her coat inside. She huffed and turned around to go get it when she saw Klaus coming out of the restaurant holding her coat and purse in one hand.

"Well she definitely paced herself didn't she? Didn't even make it to the first course" Klaus said with a smirk but Caroline could hear the anger in his voice.

Caroline rolled her eyes and accepted her coat that he was extending in his arm.

"I'm sorry I put you through this love," Klaus said quietly.

"It's not your fault Klaus you shouldn't have to apologize for your mother's lack of regard for others," Caroline answered.

"I did pick out your dress," he pointed out.

"We both know I could've worn a nun outfit and she still would've somehow managed to call me a whore. She would probably say I was trying too hard and only whores have to try that hard," she said sarcastically.

He laughed a little at this.

"If you wore a nun outfit I would say you were indeed trying too hard," he smirked.

"Bite me Mikaelson," she said with a laugh.

"Only if my mother gets to watch. I'm sure she would love that," he replied with a devilish smirk.

"She wishes she were that lucky to get a free show," she teased.

Klaus laughed and wrapped his arm around her as they walked back to his car. He stopped right before opening the passenger door for her and looked at her seriously.

"I really am sorry for tonight Caroline. You didn't deserve that," he said seriously.

"It's fine Klaus, it's not like she's my mother-in-law. I don't need her to like me," she responded, with a small smile.

He just looked at her seriously without saying anything.

"I'm sorry she doesn't respect your decisions," Caroline said quietly.

Klaus looked away and she saw his jaw set once more. Caroline brought her hand up to his face to get him to look at her.

"She doesn't know what she's missing while she's too busy trying to make you fit her mold of the 'perfect son'," she said sincerely.

Again he said nothing but simply remained looking at her with an odd intensity in his eyes.

"It's okay. I don't need her to like me either," Klaus finally said with a half-hearted smile as he opened up the passenger door for her.

As Caroline got in the car, she took her phone out of her purse to see she had a message from Matt.

_Will we see you tonight?_

Caroline sighed as she read the message and Klaus got in the car. She looked at him and knew he was still upset over the failed dinner.

"So would your hot date mind if I borrowed you for a little longer?" he asked with a smirk though Caroline could hear the tenseness in his voice.

"I make my own decisions," she responded with a smirk. "What's the plan?"

"I have a thing or two in mind," Klaus replied with a mischievous smirk.

"Your girlfriend won't mind?" Caroline asked a little apprehensively though trying to sound casual.

"There's nothing to mind sweetheart, she knows you're like my sister" he responded with a shrug.

Caroline gave him a tight-lipped smile and looked out the window. His comment bothered her _a lot_ but she didn't know why. She pulled out her phone and replied to Matt.

_Depends on how long the after party lasts._

Not even a minute later, she got a response.

_As long as it takes. Is that a yes?_

Caroline thought about it for a minute before she responded.

_Yes._

She sighed and put her phone back in her purse.

"Everything alright love?" Klaus asked turning to look at her.

"Yeah," she said quietly looking straight ahead.

He noticed she was refusing to meet his gaze but decided not to push it and so they drove in silence for a long time.

"Where are you taking me?" Caroline finally asked when she noticed they were past all the town limits.

"It's a surprise," he said with a smile.

"You know surprises freak me out," she said finally turning to look at him.

Klaus laughed.

"Only because you're not in control," he retorted. "Just trust me Caroline, you'll enjoy this."

She wanted to argue but decided against it. She had experienced enough arguing for the night. She kept trying to make out where they were heading but didn't recognize it. She knew Klaus was aware of what she was doing judging by his amused expression.

Finally after another half hour passed, Caroline saw him pull off the highway and drive toward a parking lot that was dimly lit. There was enough lighting that she could see what appeared to be sand beyond the parking lot.

"Where are we?" she curiously asked.

"So impatient," Klaus smirked as he parked the car.

Caroline didn't wait for him to come around but rather got out quickly, curiosity getting the best of her. The ocean breeze instantly hit her and realized Klaus had driven them to a beach. She looked around and saw a lighthouse a few yards from where they were.

"I thought we could use a little escape after today," he said coming up from behind her carrying some blankets in one arm and a bottle of champagne in the other hand.

"Where did you get those?" she asked eyeing what he was carrying in his arms.

"Take a guess," he responded with an amused smirk.

"I mean were you carrying those in your car this whole time? Had you planned this?" she asked meeting his gaze.

He looked away quickly before answering.

"I had a feeling dinner with my mom would be an epic failure and made some contingency plans," he shrugged, still not looking at her. "Does that bother you?"

Part of Caroline wanted to say yes. Part of her wanted to say yes it bothered her because this entire night was feeling like something out of a movie, minus the bitchy mother part, something you did with the guy you loved. But they weren't that to each other. He had made it very clear. She was like his sister.

But then that traitorous part of her that was screaming she didn't mind came out. This was the part of her that told her he was her Klaus and nothing should change that. She enjoyed spending time with him and he with her. _Stop trying to blur the lines Caroline. This is Klaus, the same Klaus you've been friends with for years. Best friends. The guy who has been with you through hell and back, who truly knows you and hasn't run away. _

"Of course not," she finally answered with a bright smile. "But I'm not going to lie, next time a little warning would have been nice so that I really had worn my favorite pair of sweatpants because it's kinda cold."

"That's what these are for love," Klaus responded with a chuckle, raising his arm where he was carrying the blankets.

They started walking and he put his arm around her again and without thinking about it, she rested her head against his shoulder and put one arm around his waist. They walked until they were close enough to the shore and laid the blankets out. Caroline was a little mortified when she realized he only brought two blankets. One for them to sit on and the other to cover themselves with.

She sat down on the blanket first and watched as he popped open the bottle of champagne. Handing her the bottle, he sat down right next to her and pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her again. She took a big swig of the bottle and handed it to him. Neither one said anything, both staring out at the large open water that seemed to become one with the night sky.

"So what are you going to do about your mother?" Caroline finally asked after a long while of sitting there in silence.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Are you going to call her to apologize?" she asked, feeling she already knew the answer.

"Perhaps," he answered, surprising her. "When hell freezes over." He added in a dark tone.

"I know she was out of line but just do me a favor and don't write her off ok?" Caroline said raising her head to look at him.

"After how she's always treated you, how can you of all people say that?" Klaus asked incredulously looking down at her.

"Because she's your mother and I know that deep down you care. I just want you to be happy Klaus and if she's a part of that happiness, than I'll swallow my pride and take one for them team," she tried to tease but looked him in the eyes to let him know she was being sincere.

"You truly are an exquisite being love," Klaus said not breaking his gaze from her own.

"I know," she tried to joke looking away from him. She caught her breath when he lifted her chin up to look at him.

"I'm being serious love. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said with that same odd intensity she had heard in his voice before.

Feeling herself beginning to blush again she looked away and laughed.

"Well let's hope you never have to find out," she tried to joke again but deep down she was serious. She didn't want to find out what life would be like without him.

They both fell back into a peaceful silence again and after a while Caroline felt herself begin to drift off to sleep.

"It's getting late Klaus, we should probably start heading back soon," she murmured sleepily against his shoulder.

Instead of feeling him get up, she felt him pull her in closer to him and she didn't object.

"Get some sleep love, the world can wait," he whispered in her ear and despite her drowsiness, caused her to shiver.

He felt her shiver and wrapped the blanket and his arms tighter around her.

Klaus couldn't explain why but at that moment, he felt completely at peace. It had been a long day. He had been dreading meeting with his mother because he anticipated it wouldn't go over well. This had caused him to be moody all day which led him to get into an argument with Tatia during lunch, further putting a damper on his day. After that lunch he had been looking forward to seeing Caroline and laughing at all the uptight people from town but was quickly annoyed with her too when he discovered she had met someone and had neglected to tell him. The thought annoyed him once more but he tried to push it aside as he looked down at her asleep in his arms. He realized this was the first time she had fallen asleep in his arms and he smiled at how peaceful and angelic she looked. He couldn't stay mad at her for long, just like he knew she couldn't stay mad at him for long. He kept looking down at her and felt like he had all he ever needed. All he would ever need. The thought of waking her up and driving back to their realities pained him for some reason.

So he didn't wake her. He sat there enjoying the calm and peaceful feeling he felt at that moment. It had been too long since he felt this way and he was selfish enough to want to enjoy it for as long as he could. So he sat there, letting his mind wander until sleep finally started to catch up to him.

_We really should start heading back_ he thought to himself but he made no attempt to move.

He looked down at her sleeping form again and kissed the top of her head without really thinking about it. He carefully readjusted their positions so they were lying down and he let his mind wander again, enjoying the feel of the cool ocean breeze and his best friend lying next to him, helping keep him warm.

It was a perfect peaceful moment. It was the calm before the storm...

**Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I didn't really edit grammar & spelling in this chapter because I was making some changes & working on the next chapter of my other story, so I hope you guys can forgive any errors! This chapter was heavily Klaus & Caroline but don't worry (if you were), the other characters will pop up again next chapter! When I first wrote this story this chapter just felt right focusing on them two and seeing a little more into their lives and thought processes. Please let me know what you guys think! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3-Turning Tables

**Thank you so much FANFICTIONFREAKStoptakingthis1, Mystery Girl 3, 4everKlaroline, MrsLeaMorgan, Libra86, dee, Guest, & Cathalinaheart for your reviews! They seriously made my day! And thank you so much to everyone who followed and faved this story! Your support means a lot & is truly appreciated! I'm really glad you guys liked the chapter! Sorry for the late update, I've been sick this week. I made a few edits to this chapter but probably did not catch all the mistakes so please forgive any errors!**

"_**I don't want this moment to ever end,**_

_**Where everything's nothing without you.**_

_**I'd wait here forever just to see you smile,**_

'_**Cause it's true, I am nothing without you…"**_

XXXXXX

The sound of the ocean waves softly crashing onto the shore and the light cool breeze had lulled Klaus into a deep and peaceful sleep. He could not remember the last time he had slept this peacefully. It felt this was moment was short-lived however, as he felt something buzz against his side. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw that it had gotten significantly lighter outside. It took him a few moments to realize where he was and understand why his body felt so stiff.

_The sun will be rising soon_ he thought to himself as he picked up his head and looked out toward the vast open water.

He then looked down at the blonde that was still peacefully sleeping _in his arms_. Klaus realized that at some point, they had both readjusted their positions so that she was facing away from him and he had ended up sleeping with his arms wrapped around her. He felt her warm hand on top of the arm he had wrapped around her waist. _Was I spooning with Caroline? _

The buzzing garnered his attention again. He slowly sat up, careful not to wake Caroline, and pulled out his phone to see he had an incoming call from Tatia. He sighed and decided to ignore the call. He knew she would be angry but he did not want to deal with it at the moment. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked back at the sleeping figure of his best friend. She was still deep in sleep and Klaus could not help the smile that appeared on his face as he took in how peaceful and _beautiful _she looked. Waking up to her caused an array of unfamiliar emotions that he dared not identify and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to get to wake up to her every morning? His very aroused member certainly rejoiced at the idea. He quickly shook the thought aside, chastising himself for going there.

"Caroline, wake up sweetheart," Klaus said gently.

She didn't even stir.

He pushed some of the loose curls away from her face and smiled again as he took in the soft expression that covered her face. He couldn't resist bringing his hand down and softly caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"Caroline it's time to wake up love," he said again gently against her ear.

He felt her stir and saw her slowly open her eyes. Realizing she wasn't indoors she snapped her eyes open and quickly turned to look at him.

"Oh my God did we sleep here?" she asked as she slowly sat up and began stretching her limbs.

"Looks like it love" he replied looking out at the open water.

He was entranced with how beautiful the light sky was reflecting off the ocean water. He heard her gasp and knew she was looking at the same thing. They sat in silence for a moment longer, watching as the sun slowly began to rise.

Caroline glanced at Klaus out of the corner of her eyes and took in his appearance. His hair was disheveled but he looked perfect at this moment. He looked peaceful and content. She felt a smile tug at her lips and looked away before he caught her looking at him.

After a few moments, the buzzing of his phone again interrupted their peaceful silence. He sighed as he pulled out his phone and raised his eyebrows, glancing at her before he answered.

"Kitty, good morning," he answered with a guilty undertone.

Caroline sucked in her breath. Kitty was going to kill her.

"Yes, she's here with me, she's fine don't worry," he answered with that same tone.

_Yup, she's definitely going to kill me._

"It's my fault, I dragged her out with me and we lost track of the time," he explained looking at her with a small smirk.

Caroline extended her hand out to him, silently asking him for the phone.

"Kitty, it's me," she started with an apologetic tone. "I'm sorr-"

"Caroline Forbes do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Kitty yelled into the phone causing Caroline to hold it a little ways away from her ear.

"We were waiting for you to show up at the bar or at the very least call. I come home to find an empty house with no message from you. I called you _twenty _times and left you plenty of messages and still I received no reply from you! I called the police but they told me I had to wait 24 hours before it was considered a missing case!" Kitty said angrily.

"You called the cops?" Caroline asked incredulously.

Klaus raised his eyebrows and looked at her apologetically.

"Yes Caroline because that's what people do when they're concerned because someone they love is nowhere to be found," she spat.

"Kitty I'm sorry, really I am. Last night was all unplanned and I'm sorry I didn't think to call you. But I'm fine, really I am. I'm sorry I worried you," Caroline said guiltily.

"You have a lot of explaining to do when you get home, that is assuming you are coming home sometime today?" Kitty huffed annoyed.

"Yes, I'll be home later and we can talk about it then. The wedding is in a few hours, get some sleep and we'll talk when I get back," Caroline said softly.

"Fine but you better not try and sneak out before we talk about this Caroline," Kitty snapped before she hung up.

"I'm sorry love," Klaus immediately apologized.

"It's okay Klaus don't worry about it. She's a little prone to paranoia and hysteria. This is all my fault, I really should've called her last night," Caroline said giving him a small smile.

"How long will she be mad?" he asked a little apprehensively.

"She'll be over it by the end of the day," she answered.

Caroline knew her sister well enough to know that she was not the type of person to hold on to grudges.

"Really Klaus it's fine, now that she knows I'm okay and will be getting some sleep, she'll be less grouchy and once we talk and I explain everything, she'll be annoyed but like I said, she'll get over it. Especially since today is the wedding. Weddings always make her all sappy," Caroline said with a reassuring smile.

He gave her a tentative smile, not entirely convinced of what she was telling him. He had never heard Kitty this angry before and he felt guilty that he had been the one responsible for this. Caroline had only been doing him a favor last night and she had gotten nothing but problems in return. He then realized that they had never actually eaten anything.

"I promised to return you well fed last night and I'm realizing we never actually ate anything," he said looking at her guiltily.

She laughed.

"I think food was the least of our worries last night," she replied as she bent to pick up the blankets.

"I'm sorry last night was such a disaster love," he sighed.

"It wasn't all bad," she said with a small smile.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "Because dinner was an epic failure and your sister had to call the cops because of my stupidity. I would say it was pretty bad."

"But we also got to hang out and escape everything for a while," she said softly. "I'm incredibly stiff right now but I think that the end of the night was rather…perfect" she finished sheepishly as a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

He smiled widely at her.

"It was rather perfect," he conceded, pulling her into a warm embrace.

Klaus couldn't explain why but lately he felt this constant need to hold her, to feel her.

"Come on love, let's get you home before your sister calls the National Guard," he said with a playful smile.

More than an hour later, Klaus pulled into her driveway. Caroline started to open the door and saw Klaus hesitate next to her.

"Are you coming inside?" Caroline asked stopping to look at him.

"Will your sister kill me if I do?" he asked.

She laughed.

"I'm sure she's asleep. Come on, I'm fixing us breakfast," she added with a bright smile.

He couldn't resist smiling too as he followed her out of the car.

They walked in as quietly as possible and Caroline let out a small laugh, remembering all the times she used to do this in high school. She took off her coat and carefully placed her heels down next to the door as Klaus took off his coat and placed it next to hers following her into the kitchen. She looked at him surprised as she saw him roll up his sleeves.

"What are you doing?" she asked him with a laugh.

"I'm cooking breakfast for you," he answered nonchalantly.

She raised her eyebrows letting out a small laugh.

"You're cooking?" she asked incredulously. "Have you ever cooked in your life?"

"I'm a man of many hidden talents," he answered with a smirk. "I promised you a meal and I'm also a man of my word."

She stepped aside as he came around the island.

"What would you like sweetheart?" he asked.

"Eggs and bacon?" she asked trying to keep it as simple as possible for him.

She knew for a fact Klaus did not cook.

"You insult me," he scoffed and smirked. "How about we add some French toast?"

"Suit yourself," she answered amusedly as she saw him open the cabinet and take in the array of pots and pans.

She pulled some out for him as he pulled the ingredients out of the refrigerator. She laughed as she saw him pull out his phone and Google recipes for making French toast.

"Need some help Mikaelson?" she asked.

"Go relax love, breakfast will be ready soon," he smirked.

She looked at him reluctantly but felt the sand sticking to her.

"I'm going to go clean up quickly. Let me know if you need anything," she said.

She quietly walked to the bathroom, careful not to wake Kitty up. She quickly hopped into the shower sighing in relief as she felt the hot water wash away the sand. She took a little longer than she had planned, knowing Klaus would be needing her help in the kitchen. She wrapped a towel around her and ran to her room, getting the smell of something burning. She hurriedly kicked the door behind her and began throwing lingerie on and quickly pulled out a pair of jeans on. She was picking out a shirt when she heard a quick knock on the door and turned to see Klaus walking in.

"I may nee-"he stopped as he noticed she was only half-dressed.

He did not look away.

"Klaus!" she yelled trying to cover her lacey-pink bra.

"I'm sorry love," he said quickly looking away and walking out only to walk straight into Kitty.

"What is going on?" she asked, looking confused and a little frantic.

"I think I'm on the verge of burning your kitchen down," he answered, slightly shaking his head, the image of Caroline still in his mind.

Seconds later he heard Caroline come out of her room. She blushed as she saw him standing there and averted his gaze and headed quickly to the kitchen.

"Oh my God!" Kitty and Caroline exclaimed at the same time as they saw the smoke coming from the pans on the stove.

They both moved quickly to remove the pans from the stove. Caroline turned to look at Klaus and started laughing. He joined in on her laughter as Kitty looked between the both of them bewilderedly.

"Obviously I missed something," Kitty said slightly frowning.

"I'm sorry Kitty," Klaus apologized between laughs. "Obviously I'm not a man of as many talents as I thought."

Kitty rolled her eyes breaking into laughter too.

"How about you go get us breakfast while I clean up?" Caroline finally said after she regained her composure.

"That might be best," he said with a small laugh.

Kitty waited until Klaus was gone before turning on Caroline.

"So what happened last night?" she asked, her voice stiff with annoyance.

"Dinner with the she-monster was a disaster and Klaus needed me," Caroline said with a guilty undertone. "He drove us to a beach and we kind of lost track of time and fell asleep."

Kitty listened intently, eyeing her sister curiously.

"What exactly is going on between you and Klaus, Care?" Kitty asked.

"Nothing," Caroline answered quickly and slightly confused. "Why?"

"I don't know, maybe because he buys you a dress to go have dinner with him and his mom, he drives you both to a beach where you fall asleep together, he tries to cook you breakfast…sounds pretty romantic to me," Kitty answered.

"Oh please Kitty don't put things out of context. This is Klaus we're talking about, my best friend, you know, my best friend of _seven _years," Caroline exclaimed. "Last night was far from romantic. His mom basically called a whore at dinner and just for your information, he told me he sees me like _a sister_ and he has a girlfriend" she finished angrily.

Kitty raised her eyebrows.

"What makes you angry? The fact that his mom called you a whore, that he said he sees you like a sister, or that he has a girlfriend?" Kitty asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes growing frustrated with her sister.

"Gee let me think about it and get back to you," Caroline answered sarcastically. "Look Kitty, I'm sorry if I worried you last night but I'm really done having this conversation" she huffed walking out of the kitchen and heading to her room.

She had just lied down on her bed when Kitty walked into her room. Caroline groaned.

"Are you coming to the wedding tonight?" she asked sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

"I don't think so," Caroline answered, quickly racking her brain for some excuse that would seem believable.

"Why not?" Kitty asked.

"Because I don't know anybody besides you and David and I really don't feel like being a third wheel tonight," she answered honestly, too tired to come up with any excuse.

"Why don't you ask Klaus to come with you? I'm sure he definitely owes after last night," Kitty suggested.

"Because I'm sure he has plans with his girlfriend," Caroline sighed.

Yesterday was the first time they spent so much time together since he started dating Tatia.

"Maybe he doesn't" Kitty insisted.

"It's fine Kitty. Maybe I can finally have my hot date tonight since I so rudely cancelled last night," Caroline tried to tease.

"Well I'm sure David or Matt won't go down without a fight," Kitty warned.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Matt was waiting for you to show up the entire time we were at the bar," Kitty confessed. "He's obviously interested and David is all for it naturally."

Caroline suddenly felt a little flustered. She was attracted to Matt but she wasn't looking to date anyone soon. Her last boyfriend had broken her heart into a million tiny pieces and Caroline was not anxious to experience that anytime soon, or ever again.

"Don't feel like you have to give him a chance just because he's David's cousin Care," Kitty said seriously.

Caroline was about to respond when she heard her phone alerting her to an incoming message.

"_**I'm sorry, I'm going to have to reschedule on breakfast. Something came up.**_**"**

Caroline tried to fight the disappointment that overtook her as she read the message from Klaus. Last night had been oddly perfect and she found herself wishing as she drifted off to sleep that the moment would never end. But now they were back to their realities. The real world couldn't wait forever.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Klaus sighed as he grudgingly got out of his car and made his way toward Tatia's apartment. He hated that he had to cancel on Caroline but Tatia had called him again, furious after he had failed to answer any of his calls the night before. He had ignored his call earlier but he couldn't ignore her forever. He tensely knocked on the door and braced himself for the argument he was sure was coming.

"Well look who finally decides to grace me with an appearance," Tatia said coldly as she opened the door and saw him.

"Please Tatia, it was a long night. I wasn't trying to upset you," Klaus started, trying to keep his patience.

"Upset me? Why would I be upset? You refuse to invite me to dinner _with your mother_ but take your best friend instead and then refuse to answer my calls for the rest of the night. Now you tell me, why would I be upset?" she screeched.

"Trust me when I said I did you a favor by not bringing you to dinner with my mother," he said impatiently.

She was fuming and Klaus knew she was far from rational when she was in this state of mind and things could get out of hand quickly.

"You did me a favor by leaving me at home by myself while you took off with your little friend?" she spat. "Tell me, were you with her the entire night? Is that why you didn't answer any of my calls?"

Klaus instantly felt himself tense, knowing how the truth would sound to her.

"After dinner with my mother turned out to be a complete disaster I needed time to myself to think," he lied.

"Don't lie to me Klaus! I will not be taken for a fool, I will not be the laughing stock of the town," she seethed.

"I'm not lying!" he yelled.

He turned away trying to compose himself. He hated himself for lying to her, for having to lie about Caroline. They had done nothing wrong. They had spent the night together but everything between them was strictly platonic. But as he thought about how he felt when she was in his arms, the feeling he got when he woke up next to her, and how quickly he was aroused when he walked into her room and saw her standing only in jeans and a bra, he suddenly felt as if he was trying to convince himself that everything was strictly platonic. Immediately he pushed the thought aside, bringing his attention back to Tatia, _his girlfriend._

"I'm sorry about last night," he said quietly turning back to look at her.

"Tell me the truth Klaus, what is this to you?" she asked, pointing between them.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"I mean are you serious about us? Or would you rather be with her?" she asked firmly.

Klaus did not have to ask who she was referring to. He knew she was asking about Caroline.

"You know it's not like that between us. She's like a sister to me," he answered quickly, looking away from her as he said this.

"Good because I wouldn't go down without a fight," she said smiling.

He felt himself tense as she walked to give a hug and kiss him. He sometimes felt as if he was on an emotional roller coaster with Tatia's sudden mood changes. He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her too and reciprocating the kiss. He did care about Tatia and wanted their relationship to work because despite his aloof and sometimes cold demeanor, he did not want to be alone. He had his brothers and sister but they were all moving on with their own lives and Caroline would move on eventually too. She was perfect in every way and would find somebody that deserved her one day. That thought both terrified and pained him, especially as he thought that somebody was definitely not him. He would end up alone like his father had predicted on his deathbed.

He felt himself grow frustrated as these thoughts crossed his mind and pulled in Tatia closer deepening the kiss, wanting to feel someone beside him and wanting to forget his fears and insecurities.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hours later, Caroline finished applying her mascara in the bathroom next to her sister.

"I can't believe I let your boyfriend talk me into this," Caroline said looking over at Kitty who was also applying the last of her makeup.

Kitty laughed.

"I told you he wouldn't go down without a fight," she responded.

Caroline sighed and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Have you heard anything from Klaus?" Kitty asked next to her.

"Nope," Caroline answered with a tight voice.

She had tried calling him earlier but he had not answered and had yet to return her call.

They both heard a knock on the door and quickly rushed to throw on their dresses and shoes before rushing out to meet an amused looking David who got that same look in his eyes like the night before as soon as he saw Kitty.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he said to Caroline as he reached in to hug her. "I'm sure Matt will be excited, he really missed you last night."

Caroline looked away flustered and tried to smile in response.

A short while later, they arrived at the hotel where the wedding would take place. Caroline remained by Kitty's side throughout the whole ceremony, trying not to look over at Matt too much who was constantly looking over in her direction. She felt herself blush when she made eye contact with him once and quickly looked away. He did look very handsome but she wasn't interested in dating anyone at the moment.

After the ceremony, Kitty and Caroline worked their way to the part of the hotel where the reception was taking place. They were seated at the same table as David and Matt, along with a few of their family members. Everyone cheered as the bride and groom entered the reception behind their wedding party.

"Fancy seeing you here," Matt said with a big smile as he took a seat next to Caroline.

"Likewise," Caroline teased with a smile.

_Am I seriously trying to flirt right now?_

"So did everything work out with your friend last night?" he asked.

"More or less," she answered sheepishly.

She was growing annoyed with Klaus' silence and was beginning to wonder if she had done anything wrong.

"I'm glad because tonight is all about enjoying yourself," he answered with a bright smile.

"I think it's all about the bride and groom enjoying themselves," Caroline countered with a laugh.

"Let me rephrase, tonight my mission is to get you to enjoy yourself," he said looking at her in a way that made Caroline blush.

She looked over at Kitty who was seated across from her and was confused by the look she was giving her but decided to pay no attention to it.

Soon they brought the dinner and wine out and after a few glasses, Caroline found herself on the dance floor with Matt. She found herself on the dance floor with him the majority of the night laughing away most of the night. For a moment she managed to push Klaus to the back of her mind as she found herself enjoying being in Matt's company. There was something sweet and genuine about him that piqued her interest. After hours of dancing, Caroline was dragging her feet toward his car, heels in her hand and laughing at a ridiculous joke he made. Kitty and David had disappeared earlier and Caroline had a feeling she knew what they were up to.

"Thanks again for giving me a ride," she said to Matt as she got in the car.

"My pleasure," he answered with his typical smile. "Direct the way captain."

A while later, he pulled into her driveway and quickly walked around the car to get the door for her.

"Thank you," Caroline answered a little shyly.

She suddenly became very aware of how much this felt like a date as he walked her up to front door.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," he said breaking the awkward silence as they reached the front door.

"Me too," she answered with a smile. "I would say you accomplished your mission."

He laughed and looked away.

"So listen, I don't want to seem too forward or come on too strong but I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by you," he said looking down at her. "I would like the opportunity to keep getting to know you" he finished sheepishly.

Caroline felt herself suck in a deep breath. She really didn't know what to say. She kept telling herself she wasn't ready to date again. She suddenly felt herself wishing Klaus were there.

"I know we just met but tell me you'll at least think about it," he said bringing her out of her thoughts. "Who knows, you might find I'm a pretty decent guy" he joked.

"I have no doubt you are Matt, it's just the last time I did this, I ended up regretting ever giving this guy the time of day," she answered tensely.

"Well that guy is an idiot and it was his loss," he answered seriously. "I like to think of myself as being a little smart and knowing a good thing when I see it."

Caroline felt herself blush again, not used to guys complimenting her this way. The only guy she ever received compliments from was Klaus and half the time she thought he was joking.

"I'm just asking you to think about it Caroline," Matt said gently.

"Okay," she said quietly, bringing up her gaze to look him in the eyes.

She felt a smile form on her face as she saw the smile that broke out on his.

"Okay you'll think about it or okay you'll go on a date with me?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows at him with a smirk and he laughed.

"Okay I won't push it tonight," he said with a laugh.

Before she could say anything, he leaned to swiftly kiss her on the cheek. She gasped in surprise.

"Good night Caroline," he said with another bright smile before he turned and walked away.

She stood there a little flustered and dazed when she spotted Klaus walking toward her from across the street. Even from where she was standing she could tell that he was not happy.

"Seems like you had a fun night," he said quietly as he came up the front steps.

Caroline could sense the underlying anger in his tone. _How much did he see?_

"I'm assuming that was the famous cousin David talked about or was this some other suitor?" he asked sarcastically.

"No need to be an ass Klaus," Caroline answered him annoyed.

"Not being an ass sweetheart, just simply curious," he answered in that same tone.

"Well you know what they say about curiosity," she answered sarcastically.

He laughed but Caroline knew he was far from amused. It was a bitter laugh.

"Why won't you tell me about this mystery guy? Are you scared he's 'the one' or is he some fling that's not worth mentioning?" he asked, all traces of laughter gone.

She glared at him angrily.

"Are you also insinuating I'm some kind of whore?" she asked loudly. She was _mad_.

"Of course not Caroline I'm simply trying to figure out why my so-called best friend won't tell me anything about this mystery guy I caught her with," he answered angrily.

"Oh please Klaus you don't want to know anything about this guy you just want somebody to fight with but guess what? I'm not in the mood so why don't you go fight with your little girlfriend. At least then you get the benefit of make-up sex" she said angrily.

_Way to ruin my night dick!_

"I've indulged in enough make-up sex for the night sweetheart but thanks for your concern about my sex life," he responded sarcastically, anger evident in his voice as well.

"Ugh you're disgusting!" she yelled, feeling angry tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Why are you even here? It wasn't enough that your mom ruined my night yesterday, you felt the need to pick up where she left off?"

"I thought you said last night was 'quite perfect'?" he countered angrily, attempting to smirk but failing.

"It was because you actually behaved like a decent human being unlike the ass you're being right now!" she yelled brushing away the tears she was no longer able to contain.

The words died on his tongue as he saw the tears begin to spill from Caroline's eyes.

"What do you want Klaus? Why did you come?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.

"Caroline I'm sor-" he started but was interrupted.

"It's been a long day Klaus, I'm tired. Just tell me why you're here so that I can get some rest," she said, refusing to look at him.

Klaus felt ashamed that he had brought her to tears this way. Not even his own mother had managed to do that. He knew that Caroline was tough and was usually not really affected by what others said. He was the exception. _How did we end up here after the night we had yesterday?_

"I came to pick up my coat, my house keys are in there," he answered quietly, looking away from her, unable to look at her.

She didn't say anything. She simply turned to unlock the door and walked inside returning a few instants later carrying his coat in her hand. She handed it to him without looking at him and quickly turned away, shutting the door behind her without another word.

Klaus stood there for a moment, angry at himself for what he had just done. He had spent almost the entire day thinking about the previous night and he found himself wanting nothing more than to spend more time with Caroline but between his brother Kol and Tatia, that had been impossible. He stopped by her house earlier but found she was not home. He knew she was probably at the wedding and left feeling disappointment weigh on him. He ended up meeting his friend Stefan and after a few hours, finally headed home only to discover he did not have his keys which were in his coat pocket. A part of him was frustrated but a bigger part of him was happy with his newfound excuse to see Caroline sooner than he planned. He had returned to her house only to find her standing in front of her front door with another guy.

Klaus couldn't explain why but he instantly felt a surge of anger erupt in him. This anger was only fueled as he saw this stranger lean in to kiss her on the cheek. Klaus waited until he saw this guy get in his car before getting out of his car and walking toward her. She instantly spotted him and part of his anger diminished as he took in how beautiful she looked in her navy blue knee-length dress. He loved how that color looked on her. He felt his anger come back as he remembered how this stranger had _kissed _her. He had probably asked her out too. Would this be the guy to finally replace him?

He replayed what had happened after he finally reached the front steps, all the things he had said. She was right he did want to fight. He was angry and childish but he wanted to take out his anger on somebody, and like a juvenile he took it out on her. Part of him knew he was hurting her with his words but that juvenile part of him was bigger and didn't care. He wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt him.

Klaus clenched his fists by his side and walked away angrily. He was not angry at her, he was angry at himself for being so petty. _She definitely deserves better than me._

Inside her room, Caroline laid curled in bed, crying angrily as she replayed the fight with Klaus in her head. _He definitely picked up a thing or two from his mother_. She tried to not let his words bother her but most importantly, she tried to block the image of him and Tatia together.

"_I've indulged in enough make-up sex for the night sweetheart but thanks for your concern about my sex life."_

The thought of them together made Caroline feel sick to her stomach. She knew she shouldn't care and she shouldn't be surprised. They were a couple after all.

As she lied there she found herself growing more frustrated with herself. _I don't care. I don't care. I don't care._ She rolled over to her side, wishing Kitty were there with her. She cried harder as she thought about the previous night. It was like night and day. She knew one thing for sure: she would definitely not be falling into a peaceful sleep tonight. That same man who had made her feel completely safe and peaceful last night was the same man who had made her feel angry and hurt tonight.

At some point Caroline finally felt herself drift off to sleep trying to find comfort in the fact that tomorrow she would be meeting with her parents. But somehow that thought brought her little comfort; in fact, it made her heart feel heavy for some reason she could not explain…

**Thanks for reading everyone! Sorry, I know this chapter was kind of the opposite of the last one, please don't hate me! It's not all doom and gloom I promise! I wanted to give a little more backdrop into their thought processes and internal battles and even though Klaus was not the sweet and caring Klaus tonight, I hope you guys kind of understand why he acted the way he did. Everything that happened with Tatia will also be addressed in the next chapters. I felt this tension was necessary to move their relationship forward and if you don't see it, please bear with me! Don't worry I'll post another update soon! Thanks again for reading and please let me know what you guys think! **


	4. Chapter 4-Fix You

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much to MrsLeaMorgan, Jackiezn, 4everKlaroline, Mystery Girl3, & Guest for your reviews! They are greatly appreciated as always, I love getting feedback from you guys! Haha I always pictured Klaus making a total mess in the kitchen so I thought it would be fun to see him out of his element. I'm glad you guys understood why Klaus acted the way he did and like I said last chapter, we continue to delve into that in the following chapters. Having that said, I did want to say this was probably one of the hardest chapters for me to write when I wrote this story. As I said from the beginning, parts of this story are loosely based on personal experiences and this is definitely one of those chapters so please be easy on me with any mistakes you catch. **

"_**Tears stream down your face**_

_**When you lose something you cannot replace**_

_**Tears stream down your face**_

_**And I…**_

_**Lights will guide you home**_

_**And ignite your bones**_

_**And I will try to fix you…"**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caroline awoke with heavy eyelids after a restless night. She had managed to get some sleep after she heard Kitty come in but she had not managed to fall into a deep sleep. She woke up feeling anxious about the meeting with her parents and she was still frustrated about the fight she had with Klaus the night before. She was not even sure why she reacted the way she did. She knew that he was in one of his moods and just wanted to take out his anger and normally she would have ignored him or tried to get to the root of his problem but her frustration with him from earlier had surfaced and when he brought up his sex life with Tatia, that had been her breaking point.

Matt was another thing that was bothering her. She had essentially given Matt hope that she was not entirely sure was real. After her last boyfriend, she was genuinely not confident she was ready to date again just yet. That breakup had been almost a year ago but Caroline had been really cut up about it. She had genuinely thought he could be the love of her life. They had been together for three years and toward the end of the relationship he even started talking about marriage, but he quickly crushed her heart when he picked his career over her. He had been offered a position across the country and decided it best to end things with her. He did not want a long-distance relationship with her and he wanted them to be free to see other people without the guilt if they fell into temptation. While it seemed logical and reasonable the more she thought about it, Caroline had felt crushed that he essentially told her he did not love her enough to not cheat on her while they were apart. She kept telling herself not to see it that way but she could not help it.

After her breakup, she had been a wreck, giving the girl from the _Twilight _movie a run for her money for how she reacted after her boyfriend broke up with her. That was when her addiction to _Ben & Jerry's_ ice cream, Chinese takeout, and sweatpants started. That was also when she found the appeal to hard liquor, having been more of a fruity cocktail drink kind of girl before. Thankfully, her parents, sister, friends and Klaus had kept her from becoming a recluse and running her life to the ground. They had all been great, providing much needed distractions, getting her to laugh again, and making her believe that one day she wouldn't hurt over him anymore.

"_Do you promise to limit me to buying no more than five cats when I get older?" Caroline asked flipping absently through the channels on the television._

_Klaus chuckled next to her._

"_I promise love but I don't think that will ever be a problem," he answered._

"_Well you know what they say, misery loves company," she said quietly._

"_You won't be miserable forever love," he said gently._

"_You sure about that? Because all I feel in the morning when I wake up is anger toward that bastard for just walking away, I feel anger at myself for being so stupid and believing that he could be the love of my life. After the anger I feel pain, after the pain I feel hopeless and alone and by the end of the day all I feel is exhausted," she said in a choked voice and sighed when she felt Klaus pull her in to his strong arms._

"_I know it doesn't seem like it now love but it will get better," Klaus said gently as he stroked her hair._

"_Everyone keeps telling me to let it go, that I need to move on and I know they're right but I don't know how to do that," she said as the tears started to spill from her eyes._

"_You don't automatically move on just because you decide it. It takes time Caroline," he answered._

"_How much time?" she asked through thick tears._

"_It'll happen sooner than you think love. Everyday you'll wake up and find it hurts less and one day you'll find yourself falling madly in love with someone new and you'll have moved on without even realizing it," he answered her gently with a warm and tender smile._

_She buried her face in his chest and let herself get lost in the feeling of his strong embrace, praying desperately that what he was saying was true._

Caroline sighed as she remembered that night with Klaus. Even though he could be an ass sometimes, he was always there for her when she needed him. She laughed to herself as she remembered how he complained to her that he was putting on weight eating all those pints of ice cream with her since she refused to go out on the weekends anymore but preferred to stay indoors eating take out, ice cream and splurging in Netflix marathons. He had joined her almost every weekend during this phase. He pestered her enough that she finally agreed to start running with him, effectively getting her back into her usual workout routine until she finally felt the desire to do this thing for herself again. That was just one of the ways he got her to resume one of the many things she had put on hold in her life.

Sighing again, she got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make some coffee. She was definitely going to need it. She heard Kitty come out of her bedroom and walk toward the kitchen.

"Good morning," Caroline said. "Somebody had a late night last night."

"Did you hear me come in?" Kitty asked surprised.

"Yeah, had a hard time falling asleep," Caroline admitted.

"Everything okay?" Kitty asked eyeing her with concern.

Kitty knew Caroline better than she thought and knew something was on her sister's mind.

"Yeah, just had a small fight with Klaus last night," Caroline shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.

"What happened?" Kitty asked curiously.

"He was in one of his moods, wanting to throw a fit and I just didn't handle it well, " Caroline answered tensely.

"Why was he upset?" Kitty asked.

"I don't know, we never got to talk about that because he was being an ass about Matt-"Caroline started but was interrupted.

"Wait, what happened with Matt?" Kitty asked confused.

"Nothing. He just gave me a ride home from the wedding, walked me to the front door and more or less asked me out on a date, kissed me goodnight on the cheek and that was it," Caroline explained quickly.

"And Klaus saw all this?" Kitty asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know, I think so. He definitely saw Matt leaving because that was the first question that came out of his mouth," Caroline sighed.

Kitty contorted her eyebrows and simply nodded her head.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing," Kitty answered innocently.

"That look is not 'nothing' tell me what you're thinking," Caroline insisted.

"Fine, but don't get mad. It's just what I think," Kitty warned before continuing. "I think Klaus was just jealous of Matt. I'm not excusing him but I'm pretty sure that's what he was upset and wanted to fight about," she answered honestly.

Caroline snorted into her mug.

"No offense Kitty but that's ridiculous. Why would Klaus be jealous?" Caroline asked incredulously. "He's made it more than clear how he feels about me. He even felt the need to bring up how he was busy satisfying his sexual desires for a good portion of the day," she added growing angry again.

"I'm not saying _why _he's jealous but it's obvious that he cares about you. You two are almost inseparable and he has had you to himself for almost a year now. It's natural that he would feel something about somebody potentially coming in and pulling you away from him," Kitty said, holding up a hand when she saw Caroline open her mouth to argue. "You sound jealous too Care in case you haven't noticed. Every time you talk about his girlfriend your words are dripping in sarcasm and annoyance."

Caroline looked away embarrassed.

"That's because she's some vain bimbo who is more into her looks than she is into him," Caroline answered as casual as she could. "I'm just trying to look out for him because he's my best friend and I care about him and don't want to see him get hurt."

"You're sure that's the only reason?" Kitty asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caroline huffed and rolled her eyes, annoyed with her sister's ability to get in her head.

"Fine, maybe I'm a little annoyed with how much time they spend together," she admitted grudgingly. "Like you said, I'm not used to having to share him, even when he dated other girls before Tatia they were all casual flings. I just got used to being to call him whenever and hanging out with him without having to plan around his dates or worry about hurting her feelings in some way. I guess I kind of took all of that for granted."

"He's still your best friend Caroline, I'm sure he's not going anywhere anytime soon even if you asked him too. But maybe you need to tell him what you're telling me, be honest with him," Kitty advised her, with a small smile.

Caroline adamantly shook her head.

"What would that sound like Kitty?" Caroline asked incredulously. "It's not his fault I don't have the best skills with sharing. I'll just learn to get over it, I mean this was bound to happen at some point I guess I just didn't think it would be so soon and I definitely didn't think it would be with that plastic model."

Kitty laughed.

"Suit yourself Care but from what it sounds like, he doesn't have the best skills with sharing either so maybe one of you needs to talk about it at some point. I'm sure it'll save you both a plethora of arguments," she said.

Caroline just sighed and returned her attention to her coffee.

"So you and Matt huh?" Kitty asked raising her eyebrow again.

"Before you say anything, no we are not dating I simply told him I would think about it," Caroline explained quickly.

She put down her mug and hopped off the counter.

"Come on, we should start getting ready. We need to be at the train station in an hour," she said over her shoulder.

An hour later, they found some empty seats on the train and sat silently next to each other. Both were too anxious to make conversation but each one was trying to hide it. Their parents had assured them that nothing was wrong but both sisters had a gut feeling that something was wrong.

Caroline looked down at her phone and thought about messaging Klaus but decided against it. She did not know if he was still angry and she did not want to risk getting into another argument. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Kitty fidgeting with her phone and knew she was also debating on whether to contact David. After what felt like an endless ride, the train finally pulled into the station and both sisters got off the train silently working their way through the busy crowd looking for their parents.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Klaus looked at his phone for what must've been the hundredth time in the last hour. He kept checking for anything from Caroline but was disappointed every time. He had not slept well during the night, spending most of it cursing himself for the fight he had with her. He had thought about calling her but decided it was best if he didn't. He didn't know how she would react and knew that she was meeting with her parents this morning. He was a little anxious for their meeting because he knew Caroline was worried. He had also gotten into an argument with his sister, Rebekah, this morning who had insisted that he join her and their mother for breakfast "to make things right." Of course his mother had made herself seem like the victim when she told his siblings about their dinner fiasco. Klaus had downright refused to go to this breakfast. He needed space away from his mother, something Rebekah was not so keen in understanding which resulted in Klaus saying some unpleasant things to her that more or less sent the message that she needed to mind her own business. He sighed in frustration as he thought about his morning and decided to go for a run to clear his mind.

He welcomed the cold morning air that hit his face as he stepped foot outside of his apartment. The day was dark and cloudy, matching Klaus' current mood. As he was exiting his apartment building, he ran into his good friend Stefan Salvatore, who looked like he was just returning from his morning jog.

"Hey Klaus," Stefan panted, still trying to catch his breath. "You're up early."

"Rough night," Klaus shrugged, not sure he wanted to talk about the details with Stefan.

"Anything I can do to help?" Stefan asked.

Klaus couldn't help but smile at how Stefan was always willing to help. He reminded him of Caroline in this way.

"Maybe you could teach me how to keep my big mouth shut," Klaus tried to joke but there was an underlying seriousness in his voice.

"What happened?" Stefan asked curiously.

"I was a bit of an ass and got into it with Caroline," Klaus answered tightly.

"Ah I see," Stefan said quietly. "What did you guys fight about?"

"Nothing important but I definitely pissed her off," Klaus replied in the same tone.

"Well have you tried talking to her?" Stefan asked.

"I thought it best to let her cool off for now. She also has some things she's dealing with her family at the moment, I didn't want to make things worst," he shrugged.

"You're probably right but I wouldn't wait too long. Trust me, the more you avoid her, the angrier she'll get," Stefan warned.

Klaus nodded.

"You just seemed to be on a roll with the women in your life yesterday," Stefan said with a small laugh.

Klaus raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"When we met up yesterday you told me about your fight with Tatia earlier and now I run into you again and hear about your fight with Caroline," Stefan answered.

"I know, it seems fighting with women is a gift I've been blessed with, " Klaus answered sarcastically thinking about his fight earlier with his sister.

"But you and Tatia are doing better now?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, she seemed to forgive me after I gave her my credit card so she could go shopping for her trip to Belize," he shrugged.

"Well that was easy. Maybe you should try giving Caroline a credit card too," Stefan laughed.

Klaus shook his head and laughed knowing Caroline was not the type to be bribed with gifts. In fact, the mere notion of it would royally piss her off.

"Where is Tatia anyways?" Stefan asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"She went shopping with some friends upstate for the weekend," Klaus answered.

"Why didn't you go with her?" Stefan asked a little incredulously.

"She didn't exactly extend me an invitation and quite honestly I prefer it that way," Klaus answered simply.

Stefan looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

"I have things I need to take care of here," he explained quickly.

"Like making up with Caroline?" Stefan said with a trace of a smirk.

"Piss off mate," Klaus said with a chuckle.

"Well that pretty much answers my question," Stefan laughed.

Stefan eyed Klaus curiously, resisting the urge to ask Klaus a question that was all too personal about Caroline.

"What?" Klaus asked as he noticed the look Stefan was giving him.

Stefan shrugged.

"I'm just curious about your friendship with Caroline," Stefan answered honestly.

"What about it?" he asked.

"It's just…different from anything I've ever seen before. You two obviously have a strong connection…"Stefan trailed off.

"And?" Klaus asked wondering where he was heading with this.

"It's just the way you talk about her…have you ever considered the possibility that maybe she could be more than a friend?" Stefan asked cautiously.

Klaus scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Caroline and I are friends and nothing more Stefan. She and I have too much of a history to be anything more," he answered quickly.

"How can you be so sure?" Stefan asked him calmly.

Klaus laughed uneasily.

"I'm sure Stefan," he answered with a smirk.

"Right…" Stefan trailed off again, looking at Klaus with an odd look.

Klaus said goodbye to his friend and took off on his run, replaying the last part of their conversation in his head. Stefan was wrong. Caroline could never be anything more than a friend; his best friend sure but nothing more beyond that. Things had always ended badly with previous women and he could not risk losing her.

Klaus growled to himself and picked up his speed, his feet hitting heavily against the pavement as his mind wandered back to his Caroline and how her meeting with her parents was going.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caroline sat awkwardly across from Kitty at their parent's small dining room table. The entire room was silent and they could hear the wind blowing outside, as Caroline eyed her mom and dad working on the last of their breakfast.

"So what is this mysterious thing you guys needed to talk to us about?" Caroline finally asked breaking the silence once she saw their parents put their forks down and her mother begin to clear the table.

"Perhaps we should-" her mother started but was interrupted.

"Liz please, it's time we tell them," Caroline's father said tensely.

Caroline and Kitty eyed them a little anxiously.

"Tell us what?" Kitty asked nervously.

Liz looked at both of her daughters with a hesitant expression before taking her seat again and looking at her husband.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked a little frantically.

Her mind was starting to jump to the worst possible conclusions.

"As you guys know, your father and I took a trip last week," Liz started tensely.

"To Detroit to visit Grams, yeah we know," Caroline said, not sure where this was going.

"We didn't go to Detroit. We went to Seattle," Liz continued looking down.

"To Seattle?" Kitty asked confused.

"Why would you guys lie about that?" Caroline asked just as confused.

"We went to visit Bill," Liz answered in the same tight voice from before.

Bill was Caroline's and Kitty's biological father but he had walked out on them when Caroline was only 10 years old and they had not heard anything from him since. A few years after Bill abandoned them, Liz had met Robert. Both Kitty and Caroline had been very happy for their mother when she found Rob. They were good for one another and Rob was more of a father to them than Bill ever had been. They truly did consider Robert their father and would not think or talk about Bill if they could avoid it.

"Why?" Caroline asked tensely.

"He called asking that we go see him, said he needed to talk to us in person," Liz said heavily. "I told him he had no right to request to see you girls after what he did but I decided to go and find out what was so important."

Caroline and Kitty waited anxiously for their mother to continue.

Liz also took in a deep breath and Caroline could see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Mom?" Caroline asked tentatively. "What is it?"

She turned to look at her father who was looking down at the table, his forehead creased in worry.

"Your father- Bill, has been diagnosed with Huntington's disease," Liz choked out through thick tears.

Caroline saw Kitty open her mouth in surprise but said nothing. She simply looked down at the table, appearing lost in a daze. Caroline herself felt as if she forgot how to breathe for a moment. She had learned about Huntington's disease in college and knew there was no cure.

Caroline felt the tears form in her eyes as she tried to process what her mother said. As much as she resented her father for walking away, she did not expect that this would be the next news she would hear about him. She still ached for him and did not know what to do with this information. The room seemed to grow smaller and she felt herself begin to heave in deeper breaths, desperate to get air into her lungs.

After a few moments of silence as Caroline and Kitty tried to process this new information, her mother spoke again.

"That's not all," she whispered.

Caroline and Kitty turned to look at her wearily, not sure they wanted to know anything else for now.

Liz looked at Rob with the tears flowing from her eyes and he looked at her sadly, nodding his head.

"Huntington's is a genetic disorder. There is a 50% chance one of you may have it," Liz barely choked out through her sobs.

Kitty covered her mouth and looked at Caroline with panic and fear in her eyes, tears beginning to fall silently down her face.

Caroline sat there dazed for a few moments before she got up from the table and went outside to her parent's backyard and ran to the old tree she used to play on with Kitty when they were both just girls. Through her tears, she could see her sister's and her own initials that they had carved into the tree with Rob years ago.

_This isn't real. This isn't really happening. It can't be…_

Caroline clutched her chest and let herself slide down, sitting against the tree she loved so much as a little girl. The tears began to stream down her face; she was powerless to stop them. She felt her heart growing heavier with each passing moment.

Her biological father was sick and there was a 50% chance her and Kitty had the same thing. This was all too much for Caroline to process. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Kitty. _What if she had it?_ She buried her face against her knees as she felt the worry and sadness crash over her.

After a few moments, she felt a warm and gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be alright Care bear," Rob said in a strangled voice.

Caroline did not have to look at him to know he was crying too. She felt him pull her in to him tightly, stroking her hair and repeating the same thing over and over again.

"It will be okay Care, you and your sister will be alright," he said quietly.

Who he was trying to convince, Caroline would never know.

After a long time of sitting there, Caroline finally looked up at him, the tears still streaming silently down her face. She suddenly felt 100 years older.

"So what happens now?" she asked in a small voice.

"I think we should go back inside and talk to your sister and mother about where we go from here," he said gently.

Caroline followed her dad back inside the house and saw Liz sitting on the couch, with Kitty resting her head on her shoulder. Caroline could see the mascara streaks on Kitty's face and that her eyes were still wet.

"So where do we go from here?" Caroline asked again in a small voice.

"I've talked to several different doctors, and I've gotten some useful information but I guess the first thing would be to know if you guys have the disease," Liz said in a tight voice.

"How would we know?" Kitty asked raising her head to look at Liz.

"You guys could be tested to see if you carry the gene," Rob answered.

"So we can know if we have it before we begin to show symptoms?" Kitty asked in a high pitch.

"Yes," Liz answered looking at both of her daughters.

"Okay, let's do it," Kitty answered almost immediately.

Caroline looked down at her knees, trying to process this new information.

Did she want to know if she had this disease? How would this information change her life?

"Care?" Liz asked tentatively.

"I…I don't know," she barely whispered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Kitty asked in a loud voice. Her voice sounded almost angry.

"I mean I don't know if I want to know this information right now," Caroline responded defensively.

"Caroline this is important why would you want to walk around with a blind eye to this kind of information?" Kitty asked angrily.

"Because Kitty, this is life changing information and I don't know if I want to know this right now. What if the results are positive? What will that mean? There's no cure Kitty! I'm not going to let some diagnosis control the rest of my life," Caroline screamed angrily through tears.

"You're being ridiculous Care!" Kitty shot back through tears as well.

"You don't have to make a decision right now, " Rob interjected. "Just please promise us you'll think about it. You'll _really _think about it," he added pleadingly looking at Caroline.

Caroline barely nodded her head, feeling small and tired as the tears ran down her face again. To say she was scared was an understatement. There was no easy answer, no easy solution to her current situation and she did not know how to deal with it. _If _she could deal with it. She understood why Kitty was upset with her but she wouldn't be pressured into making this decision.

Feeling as if she was suffocating again, Caroline walked outside again and pulled out her phone, barely making out the contents through her tears. She pressed the phone to her ear praying desperately that he would answer.

"Hello?" Klaus said through the phone.

Caroline could hear the apprehension in his voice. She realized as soon as he answered that maybe she shouldn't have called him. This isn't the kind of conversation you had over the phone.

"Caroline?" he asked, concern evident.

"Hey," she tried to say brightly, hoping he wouldn't hear the tears in her voice. "Sorry I accidentally butt-dialed. I'm still at my parents, can I call you later?"

"Of course love," he answered lowly. "It's good to hear your voice" he added slowly.

"Yours too," she whispered.

As soon as they hung up, Caroline sighed in relief. He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong and for that she was thankful. She didn't want to worry him with this right now and it's something she wanted to talk to him about in person. How was she going to tell him? She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to feel some warmth or comfort but she felt nothing. She missed Klaus more than ever at this very moment and suddenly couldn't wait to get back home to see him. _What if he's with Tatia?_ She scowled and decided not to think about that for now.

She sat outside for a long time, watching as darker clouds rolled in with the promise of rain. It was the perfect storm brewing right before her eyes. When the rain finally started to fall, her mother came outside.

"You should come inside sweetie, you don't want to catch a cold" Liz said gently.

Caroline kept looking straight ahead and simply nodded, making no attempt to move. She wasn't sure she knew how to move anymore. She felt her mother kneel next to her.

"Caroline look at me," she said in that same gentle voice.

Caroline slowly turned to look at her.

"Your sister, father and I love you and we are here for you. We will all get through this together do you understand me?" she said, tears forming in her eyes. "You are not alone in this. I understand you're scared sweetie but it will be okay, I have to be believe it will be okay."

Caroline pulled her mom into a hug as she started sobbing, and soon, Caroline was crying with her. They remained like this for a few moments before they finally got up and went inside. It was quiet inside, the atmosphere somber and tense which made Caroline feel like she was suffocating again. She found out Kitty was going to call the next day to make an appointment to be tested that very day if she could so she was going to be spending the night at their parent's house. They tried convincing Caroline she spend the night too but she refused. The atmosphere in the house was becoming too much for Caroline and she just needed to get away from all of this for the night. She hugged her mom and sister goodbye, promising to return in the morning to accompany them to the clinic. Even if she was not getting tested herself, she would still be there for her sister in every way she could.

Even though she insisted she could take the train back, Rob refused and so she found herself riding silently next to him as he drove her back home. It was an uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say after the morning's events. She eventually fell asleep to the sound of the rain softly falling outside and woke up when he finally pulled in to her driveway.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Rob asked looking over at her with concern.

"I'll be okay dad. I'm a big girl now," she tried to tease.

"You should call one of your friends to come spend the night with you. Are Bonnie and Elena back yet?" he asked.

Her friends, Bonnie Bennett and Elena Gilbert, had gone on a road trip to the neighboring states two weeks ago and would be returning sometime in the next few days but Caroline knew they were not back yet.

"I think so," she lied. "I'll probably take a nap and then call them to see what they're up to."

Rob smiled in approval.

"We love you Care bear, take care of yourself," he said with a sad smile.

"I love you too dad, I'll see you in the morning," she said with a small smile.

She got out of the car and waved at her father as he drove away and ran the small distance from the driveway to her porch to avoid getting more wet by the rain that was still falling.

"Klaus," she gasped in surprise when she saw him sitting next to the front door.

"Hello love," he said tentatively as he slowly got up.

"How long have you been waiting out here?" she asked a little bewildered.

He shrugged, keeping his gaze on hers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked confused.

"After I got your call I knew I had to come see you," he said, concern evident once more in his voice.

She looked away, color rising to her cheeks as she internally cursed herself for not being as convincing as she thought.

"Is everything alright love?" he asked gently.

She slowly looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She was exhausted and scared and just wanted to feel safe and warm. She wanted to feel him. She didn't want to talk right now; she just wanted to feel his arms around her. She met his gaze and saw the concern etched on his face and in his eyes.

"Caroline?" he said tensely.

She didn't respond. She just walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his chest, breathing in his warm and musky scent. He didn't react for a moment, bewildered by what was going on but he quickly wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Just hold me," she whispered, through thick tears. "Please just hold me."

She felt him tense around her but soon felt him pull her in closer.

"I'm right here love, I'm right here," he whispered.

Caroline was surprised by how comforted she felt in his arms. His warmth, the feel of his arms around, the sound of his voice, _him._ He made her feel safe and in that moment, she was not afraid of what her diagnosis could be, of what the future would hold. In that moment she finally felt safe after a long and exhausting day. She pulled him in closer, knowing she would not be letting go anytime soon.

Klaus was bewildered and worried about what was happening. He had noted that Kitty had not returned with her but he would wait to ask about that later. She had not said anything to him but he knew whatever it was, it was not good. As soon as he heard her speak over the phone earlier he knew something was wrong and he knew he had to see her, whether she was still angry at him or not. He had been worried the entire time as he drove to her house, and this worry only increased as he sat waiting for her to come back. He sighed in relief when he finally saw her come up the steps and was worried for a moment that she might turn him away but that fear was quickly diminished when he saw relief cross her face when she saw him. He would never admit it, but he was scared about what was happening at the moment with her. He found relief and comfort that she was in his arms and she was safe and she had not turned him away. He breathed in her flowery scent and held on tighter, needing to feel her in order to calm his fears. He would not be letting her go anytime soon and when he felt her tighten her grip, he knew she wouldn't be either.

After a long time, they broke apart when they noticed it was getting dark out and the rain had finally stopped. He noticed she had stopped crying but her eyes were still wet and they looked a little puffy. He knew she must have been crying throughout the day. This only made his heart feel heavier. He looked at her tentatively, not sure what to say. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her but knew he had to be patient and wait for her to open up to him. When she just looked down and said nothing, he was suddenly afraid that she would ask him to leave. Finally, she looked up at him, sadness evident in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Not just about right now but last night."

"You have nothing to apologize for love, I'm the one was an ass. I'm sorry Caroline. I never meant to-" he was saying but stopped when Caroline put her hand up to face.

"You're here now, that's all that matters," she whispered with a small smile.

He was surprised when she quickly kissed his cheek and looked away. He saw the slight blush that crept on to her cheeks.

"Caroline-" he started but was interrupted again.

"Will you stay with me for a bit?" she asked in a whisper that was barely audible, looking him in the eyes.

Klaus felt as if a dagger was run through his heart as he looked into her eyes and saw the sadness and fear in them. He could hear it in her voice too.

"Always love," he whispered gently, hoping he could mask the sadness that suddenly overtook him.

He followed her quietly inside, thankful that she had forgiven him but this joy was overshadowed by the worry that was consuming him. What was going on?

He sat down on the couch next to her and watched silently as she turned the TV on and flipped to some random movie that neither of them would be watching. He pulled her in to him again and stroked her hair as she rested her head against his shoulder the way she had done so many times before. When she was with him like this he felt some of his tension ease as he found comfort in the fact that she was safe and she was there with him. He didn't know what was wrong but he knew he would do whatever it took to make things right. For her, there is nothing he would not do.

Caroline let herself get lost in his warmth that enveloped her. She thought about telling him but she couldn't bring herself to at the moment. So she relished in the feel of his hands in her hair and his arms around her, creating a safe haven from the world and all its horrors. Like he told her the other night, the rest of the world could wait. Making her decision about being tested could wait. Dealing with Bill could wait. In that moment, she felt like she was home; she felt like she was where she belonged…

**Thanks for reading everyone! Like I said, this chapter was difficult for me to write for many reasons so I hope you guys didn't mind if there were more errors than usual and sorry for the anti-climatic ending, when I wrote it just felt right to end it right there. This story will not be all heavy like this chapter just FYI, it's just some of the things that happened in this chapter are what inspired me to write this story in the first place. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I look forward to hearing from you guys! **


	5. Chapter 5-Time after Time

**Thank you so much to 4everKlaroline, Any Mouse, Mystery Girl3, MrsLeaMorgan, Jackiezn, & Guests for your reviews! As always, they are very much welcome and appreciated! Guest (one of you) I love Matt in the show, he's seriously a sweetheart, even Ian & JoMo said so in an interview lol so I tried to keep him as close to character in this story. Thank you so much for all your kind words and believe me when I say that last chapter was a hard chapter for me to write so thanks for bearing with me! It was my personal experience that having a strong & solid friendship with my husband led to an amazing & fun relationship so I'm really hoping to convey that here as well! Another guest asked if Caroline & Kitty could both have the gene and the answer is sadly yes. A person diagnosed with Huntington's has a 50% chance of passing it on to any of their children. It really is a terrible disease because you slowly start to lose different important abilities and things that make you who you are and you are powerless to stop it. Now I'm getting teary eyed again so without further ado, here is the next chapter. I wanted to upload it quickly for you guys right now that I have a chance so I didn't really have time to properly edit. Sorry! Hope you guys enjoy!**

"_**If you're lost you can look and you will find me**_

_**Time after time**_

_**If you fall I will catch you**_

_**I'll be waiting**_

_**Time after time…"**_

Klaus looked down at Caroline and realized she had fallen asleep. He sighed a little in frustration. The anxiety was killing him. She had not said anything, she had simply laid against him, looking straight ahead at the television. He would have been convinced she was actually watching the movie if he had not felt her lightly stroking his hand absentmindedly with her finger. This had been surprisingly comforting to him as he rested his head on top of hers, waiting for the moment when she would be ready to talk. As he sat there, it was hard for him not to get lost in his own thoughts. He found himself thinking back to the night he first met her.

"_Looks like we have some party crashers," his brother Kol said with a smirk as he looked pointedly toward the front door of the cabin they were currently occupying for the weekend._

_Klaus groaned and turned around to see who he was talking about. He instantly clenched his jaw when he saw his sister walking in with Stefan. Behind them, he could see what appeared to be twins from where he was sitting and a younger looking boy. He groaned even louder. He detested parties but could not refuse the free alcohol that came with it and he knew Kol better than to leave him hosting a party with no form of supervision. His family would make the front-page for sure. Having his little sister and her group of senior high school classmates show up just made this party even more unbearable. He had half a mind to demand everybody leave right that second._

_He looked back at his sister and could not help but feel sorry for her. They had only moved to that one-pony town a few months earlier and he heard enough stories from Kol to know Rebekah was not fitting in at school or in the town. This group of people was probably only there for the party, not because they were friends with Rebekah. Klaus knew Rebekah was not entirely faultless, he knew better than anybody how difficult and temperamental she could be, especially when she didn't get her way, but deep down she was a caring girl who really did wear her heart on her sleeve. It's how she always got hurt so easily. He looked at her with Stefan and part of him grew angry. Klaus had met Stefan and his brother Damon when they first moved to the town and while he liked Stefan, at the moment he wanted nothing more than to punch him right in the face. He knew Rebekah well enough to know she was in to Stefan; he was definitely her type. He was tall and built with light brown hair and blue eyes but unlike the other douchebags who looked like him, Stefan was actually a decent if not nice, guy. However, Klaus also knew Stefan was interested in some girl named Elena. _How does he not realize that Rebekah is interested in him? _Klaus knew this had heartbreak for his sister written all over it._

"_Eyeing the twins are you Nik?" Kol asked with a wicked grin, bringing Klaus out of his thoughts._

_Klaus scowled and rolled his eyes. He had not even paid attention to the rest of the group._

"_What is Rebekah doing here?" Klaus asked irritated._

"_How should I know? I'm not responsible for my baby sister's calendar" Kol answered._

_Klaus downed the rest of his drink and made his way through the small crowd to intercept Rebekah who was working her way out back where the party seemed to be raging even louder._

"_Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed. Her blue eyes seemed glossy and her long blonde hair was unkempt in some parts. She had clearly already been drinking._

"_What are you doing here Bekah?" he asked even more annoyed._

"_What do you mean? Kol told me about the party," she explained innocently._

_Klaus turned to look at Kol who was turned away fixing himself another drink._

"_You shouldn't be here, it's a bunch of drunk college idiots" he scolded._

"_Obviously, you and Kol are here," she laughed._

_Klaus was in no mood and was about to respond when Stefan came up next to them, two drinks in hand._

"_Hey Klaus," Stefan greeted. _

_Klaus simply nodded his head, still irritated by the whole situation. Much to his chagrin, Kol came up beside them, drinks in his hands._

"_Glad you could join us Bekah," he said with a smirk. _

"_I thought you didn't know why she was here?" Klaus asked sarcastically._

"_We're young, we need to enjoy ourselves. Why should Bekah be denied of these opportunities?" Kol asked innocently._

"_Exactly," Rebekah conceded, tugging on Stefan's arm to lead him out back._

_Klaus gritted his teeth, watching his sister walk away with Stefan but was distracted when Kol put a drink in his hand._

"_Come on Nik, let it go. Let's enjoy ourselves and have some fun," Kol encouraged with a mischievous grin. _

_Klaus rolled his eyes and downed the drink as Kol clapped him on the back in approval._

"_Let's get another," Kol said excitedly._

_Klaus followed his younger brother even though he knew he should take it easy with the drinks. He was not even sure how many drinks he had had at this point; he was certainly starting to feel some of the effects. He was not as guarded as he normally was for starters. He was in the middle of another drink when Kol got a mischievous look in his eye._

"_There are our sweet baby sister's twin friends," he said._

_Klaus turned to look at them and smirked, knowing exactly what Kol was thinking. The twins were not bad to look at, in fact they were very attractive. Their olive-skin, long dark hair, brown eyes and small frames were enough to gather any guy's attention and clearly they were. Klaus could also see several of the guys in the room eyeing them but they seemed not to notice, one was too lost in a conversation with a drunk frat boy and the other was too busy on her phone, covering her ears to try and hear the conversation. Klaus rolled his eyes at this, obviously it was too loud in here for her to hear anything. _

"_We should go introduce ourselves, we don't want to be rude hosts," Kol said with that same mischievous smile._

"_You are the only host here. I only came for the free booze," Klaus corrected but followed his brother nonetheless. _

_As they approached, Klaus heard the twin on the phone practically shouting in to the phone._

"_Bonnie don't you dare bail on me! You guys said you would come, I need you!" she pleaded. _

_Klaus groaned inwardly. _More of his sister's incessant classmates were coming. _She looked up and noticed Klaus and Kol approaching her and eyed them a little wearily._

"_Okay, see you guys soon," she finished. _

_She put her phone awkwardly in her back pocket and turned to pull on her sister's arm._

"_Good evening ladies, I'm Kol Mikealson and this is my brother Nik- Klaus," Kol corrected himself, with a wide grin as he extended out a hand to the nearest twin._

"_Mikealson? Are you guys related to Rebekah Mikealson?" the other twin asked._

"_Yes, she's our sister," Kol shrugged with that same grin._

_He shook the other twin's hand and turned to look at Klaus who was currently eyeing the twin that had been talking to the frat boy. There was something fierce about her that attracted his attention and he could tell by the way she was looking at him, she was definitely liking what she was seeing. Klaus smirked arrogantly. He couldn't remember the last time it had been a challenge for him to get a girl in bed. He felt Kol nudge him on the side and he knew he had been openly staring at her._

"_Pleasure," he said taking her hand and brining it up to his lips. "What's your name?"_

"_Katherine," she responded with a sly smile. "Klaus was it?"_

_He smirked and nodded his head._

"_My cup's running a little empty, how's about we do something about that?" she asked flirtatiously. _

"_Right this way sweetheart," he said as he pulled her hand and led the way back to the bar. _

_He caught sight of Kol's expression of disbelief and laughed. He reached the bar and began pulling different drinks to mix when he noticed Katherine had sat on the bar and had crossed her legs, giving him a better view of her perfect legs. _This is going to be too easy _he thought to himself. Moments later they were joined by Kol and the other twin whom Klaus had failed to get her name. _

"_What can I get for you?" Kol asked her in a tone that made Klaus want to laugh._

"_Gin tonic," she responded quickly. _

_She turned to look at Katherine as they both exchanged a look. _

"_Looks like we need some more alcohol. Care to help brother?" Kol asked and pulled Klaus by the arm before he could say anything, leading him away from the bar and the twins._

"_What are you doing?" Kol hissed as soon as they were in the back room where Kol had stored the extra alcohol._

"_What are you talking about?" Klaus asked annoyed, grabbing more bottles._

"_They're twins you bloody idiot! Twins! You can't just pick up one of them!" he seethed._

_Klaus rolled his eyes._

"_If you're not going to do it right then let me have them," he said exasperatedly. _

_Klaus laughed at this._

"_It's not my fault neither of them were interested in you. I at least got one of them," Klaus smirked arrogantly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I have a twin waiting."_

_Klaus walked out and smirked as he heard Kol cursing behind him as he followed him back to the bar. They both instantly noticed that the twins were no longer there._

"_Looks like she's not waiting anymore," Kol smirked triumphantly next to him._

_Just then, Klaus noticed Katherine walking back in their direction, with new people following her, among them was her twin sister who looked reluctant._

"_Fine, you have the twins or twin, but I call dibs on her," Kol said quickly next to him._

_Klaus followed his brother's gaze and saw a beautiful blonde at the back of the group that was walking toward them. He was instantly entranced. She was exquisite. He took in her fair skin and long curly blonde hair; it was a different blonde from that of his sister's. Her blonde locks appeared to have been weaved with golden sunrays. From where he was standing, he couldn't make out her eye color but he noticed the sparkle in them. She was laughing at something the girl next to her said and he admired how beautiful her smile was and how it lit up her entire face. _

"_She looks like a tasty little thing," he added lustfully._

_He instantly felt irritated with Kol._

"_Welcome back," he heard Katherine say, snapping his attention away from this beautiful blonde._

_He smiled a little apprehensively at her. _

"_And who are these beautiful ladies?" Kol asked with a big smile, eyeing the newcomers appreciatively, _

"_These are our friends Bonnie, Kitty, and Caroline," the other twin said pointing to each one as she said their name._

_Caroline. That was her name._

_Klaus noticed she was the only one who actually shook Kol's hand while the others simply gave a small wave. He also noticed how Kol took her hand and brought it up to his lips slowly. _

"_Pleasure to meet you, my name is Kol Mikealson," he said seductively._

"_As in Rebekah's brother?" Caroline asked surprised._

"_One and the same," Kol smirked, still not releasing her hand._

"_He's not her only brother," Klaus interrupted, stepping forward so he was in front of Caroline. "I'm Klaus," he said with a grin. _

_He noticed she had a beautiful shade of blue eyes that seemed to light up when she smiled. He took her hand in his, instantly feeling a tingling sensation go through him, but only shook her hand, cursing himself for making a move on Katherine, who was currently watching. He smiled when he noticed a slight blush creep up to her cheeks but she quickly turned her attention back to her friends. _

"_So what about that drink you promised Katherine, brother?" Kol asked pointedly._

_Klaus had to refrain from punching Kol. That was the thing about alcohol, it also made him more aggressive. _

_He sighed and directed his attention back to Katherine but he kept track of Kol and Caroline from the corner of his eye. In fact, he followed her around with his gaze for a while, growing more irritated with Kol who was pulling out all his moves with Caroline and he was also growing irritated with himself. Sure she was beautiful but beautiful women had surrounded him in the past. Why was she any different? He felt himself cringe when he saw Kol put his hand on her lower back and directed her to the makeshift dance floor. Kol made eye contact with him and winked at him with that same mischievous grin that Klaus found more infuriating than ever. He knew what Kol was aiming for that night with Caroline and the thought made his insides boil. _Hadn't he been planning to do the same thing with Katherine? _He began cursing himself for not being able to look away but there was just something about her that kept drawing his attention back to her._

"_Why don't you go over there and talk to her?" Katherine asked, once again bringing his attention back to her._

_He turned his head back to her quickly and was surprised to see she had an amused smirk on her face._

"_What?" he asked confused._

"_Caroline. Why don't you go over there and talk to her?" she asked again, amusement evident in her face and voice._

_He raised his eyebrow trying to act like he didn't know what she was talking about._

"_Come on Klaus, I'm not dumb. It's obvious you would rather be over there than here so go. I'm a big girl and let's be honest, we both wanted one thing tonight. I'm sure we can find somebody else to scratch that itch and clearly you have," she laughed and winked._

"_Are you actually encouraging me to go over there and try to pick up your friend?" Klaus asked a little incredulously._

_Katherine laughed._

"_Don't get any wrong ideas, she's not like that. But she did just get out of a shitty relationship and the poor girl could use with a confidence booster," she explained._

"_Confidence booster?" he asked with a raised eyebrow._

"_She doesn't see herself the way everybody else does. She doesn't think guys notice her and obviously you have, so get your ass over there," she said firmly but with a playful smile._

"_I can't imagine why she would think guys don't notice her. Look at my brother," Klaus said darkly as he eyed Kol and Caroline dancing. _

_She had her back to Kol and although they weren't grinding against each other, Klaus felt a stab of annoyance as he saw Kol put both of his hands on her hips._

"_Go!" Katherine said loudly, playfully shoving him toward where Kol and Caroline were._

_Klaus suddenly felt awkward but quickly got over it. The combination of the alcohol and his own confidence were definitely working together tonight. He approached them quietly and tapped Kol on the shoulder._

"_Mind if I cut in?" he asked with a smirk, enjoying his brother's annoyed stare._

"_What are you doing Nik? Where's Katherine?" Kol asked annoyed, but curious._

_Klaus instantly saw that gleam that crossed Kol's eyes at the thought of having the twins to himself again._

_Klaus shrugged and looked at Caroline who was looking between the two of them curiously._

"_May I have this dance love?" he asked her with a dimpled smile._

_She looked hesitantly at Kol but Klaus noticed that she was subconsciously leaning closer toward him and smiled. He knew she wanted to, he just needed to get rid of Kol._

"_She's somewhere by the bar," Klaus answered him with a smirk and pointed look._

_Kol got that mischievous grin again._

"_Fine, but you owe me Nik. She is a lovely little thing," he said with a wink, looking at Caroline before patting Klaus on the shoulder and walking away._

_Klaus rolled his eyes but quickly directed his attention back to Caroline, satisfied that he finally had her to himself. He smiled at her and felt his heart skip a beat when she gave him a shy but dazzling smile in return. It was not flirtatious; it was genuinely kind and inviting. He was suddenly not only interested in feeling her body against his. He wanted to talk to her, get to know more about her. He smiled again as he felt her take his hand and pull him deeper into the makeshift dance floor. Just as quickly as she took his hand, she dropped it and started moving her body to the rhythm of the music with her back turned to him. He was momentarily distracted by the way her hips swayed to the music perfectly. _God she was a good dancer._ Remembering what he was supposed to do, he put his hands on her hips and he could have sworn he felt her shiver but she didn't turn to look at him, she just kept moving to the beat of the music and he moved with her, enjoying the feel of her being so close. Klaus was not a dancer, not to this kind of music anyway, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to dance with her and be near her. Being this close, he could smell her intoxicating flowery smell and he found himself wanting to be closer. _

_They kept dancing, hardly noticing as the songs changed, both just moving to the beat of the music, their bodies in perfect harmony. At some point, he noticed that they were a lot closer than she and Kol had been and he rejoiced at this sudden realization. She was practically against his very erect member and Klaus was worried she would feel it and freak out. He remembered what Katherine had said about Caroline earlier. He felt torn but he knew he needed to put some distance between Caroline and himself if he didn't want to receive a slap._

"_Shall we get something to drink love?" he asked against her ear when the song ended._

_Again he felt her shiver and this time he was sure he was not imagining it. She turned to look at him a little flustered and nodded with a smile. He wanted to take her hand and lead her back to the bar but he knew the last thing he needed to do right now was touch her. So he walked alongside her and took in the opportunity to take in another part of her that wasn't her back. He couldn't help but think that she was flawless. _

"_So what would you like to drink love?" he asked as they reached the bar._

"_Surprise me," she said with a playful smile._

_He smirked and turned around to see what he could fix her. He genuinely had no idea what she liked to drink. In fact, he knew nothing about her other than her first name._

"_So why don't you tell me about yourself Caroline," he said with his dimpled smile._

"_What do you want to know?" she asked curiously._

"_Surprise me," he responded with a smirk._

_She rolled her eyes and laughed._

"_Well, my name is Caroline Forbes and I go to school with your sister," she said with a smile._

"_Tell me something I don't know," he complained with that same smirk._

_He hadn't known that her last name was Forbes but he had assumed that she must have been one of Rebekah's classmates._

"_If you give no guidelines you don't get to complain," she laughed._

"_Fair enough," he conceded handing her a drink._

_She took a sip and instantly cringed. He laughed._

"_What is this?" she asked, disgust evident in her voice._

"_If you don't give guidelines then you don't get to complain," he countered with a laugh._

_She raised her eyebrows and laughed. He watched surprised as she downed the rest of the drink and looked at him with a smug smile._

"_Who's complaining?" she smirked._

_Klaus laughed, truly impressed with her feistiness. He needed to know more about this girl._

"_So Caroline Forbes," he started, enjoying the way her name rolled off his tongue, "Why don't I get you another drink and then we can go somewhere more quiet and talk?"_

_She smiled and grabbed a bottle of vodka._

"_Well then," he answered with a smirk._

_He led them out back, away from the loud music. As they were walking, he caught sight of his sister laughing away at something Stefan had said. He was glad his sister was enjoying herself but he couldn't fight that underlying feeling of worry. He decided to leave that alone for now, turning his attention back to the beautiful blonde next to him._

_They stopped and sat down by a tree, looking at the people from the party play beer pong, stand on beer kegs and dance to the beat of the music. Caroline laughed as she saw the young boy who had come in with Rebekah's original group try to stand on the keg. He was clearly drunk. Klaus knew he should cut back on the drinking soon too before he did something stupid like the people at the party. Right as he was thinking that, he saw Caroline handing him the bottle of vodka. He willingly took it. _So much for will power.

"_So what do you want to talk about?" Caroline asked, taking the bottle as he handed it back to her._

"_I want to talk about you," he told her honestly._

_She rolled her eyes and laughed._

"_You couldn't have picked a more boring subject," she told him with a small laugh._

_It was his turn to roll his eyes. He highly doubted she was boring. In fact, he knew that couldn't be the case. From what he had seen of her this night, he was already intrigued._

"_Well why don't you let me be the judge of that," he said with a smile._

_She laughed and shook her head._

"_What?" he asked, slightly confused._

"_Nothing, it's just…nobody really ever asks me to tell them about myself unless it's an interview for something. They definitely don't do it a party," she explained with a small laugh._

_He frowned a little at this._

"_Well, I'm not like other people sweetheart," he told her with a smirk. _

"_How about we make a little drinking game out of this?" she asked with a devious smile._

_He smirked and raised his eyebrow._

"_I ask you something about yourself and you ask me something about myself. Nothing too personal. If one of us doesn't want to answer, that someone has to take a drink," she explained with that same smile._

_Klaus laughed at her unconventional way of letting him get to know her._

"_Need a little liquid courage to open up to me love?" he asked with a smirk._

"_Nope, it's just more interesting this way. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm a boring subject," she responded. "That was one question. My turn. Do you call everyone 'love' and 'sweetheart'?"_

_Klaus laughed._

"_That's what you choose to ask?" he asked surprised._

"_Is that a 'no response'?" she laughed, starting to hand him the bottle._

"_No," he laughed again. "They're just terms I grew up with, terms of familiarity or friendliness for the most part I suppose, almost the way you here say 'girl' or 'bro'" he explained._

_Caroline laughed really hard at this last part._

"_Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you I just don't see those words in your vocabulary at all," she quickly explained when she noticed his confused expression. _

_He shook his head and laughed, knowing she had a point. He briefly noticed how much he had laughed this night, it was unlike him. At first he thought it was the alcohol, he had ingested quite a lot this evening, but he knew that wasn't the real reason. He knew this could only be attributed to being with her. She was so full of energy and light it was contagious._

"_So where are you from? I noticed Rebekah also has the accent," she asked, pulling him out of his thoughts._

"_Those were two questions," he smirked. "My family and I are from London, we only moved here a few months ago."_

_She nodded her head, clearly intrigued._

"_My turn," he said quickly before she could ask another question. He wasn't interested in talking about him after all._

"_Where are you from?" he asked._

"_Born and raised in the lovely town of Mystic Falls," she said with a sarcastic smile. "Not as cool as London but it puts up a good fight," she joked._

"_Have you ever been?" he asked with a small laugh._

"_No, I've never really been anywhere other than Detroit," she said sheepishly. "My turn," she added quickly. "So I met your brother Kol and I know Rebekah. Do you have any other siblings?" _

"_Yes," he responded a little tensely. "You?"_

_She looked at him with an odd expression before answering._

"_One sister, she's here at the party. I walked in with her and my friend Bonnie," she answered, suddenly glancing around almost as if looking for her._

_Klaus tried to remember which one was Bonnie but he had not really been paying attention, too busy looking at her and refraining from knocking Kol out._

"_Why did you guys move to Mystic Falls of all places?" she asked curiously._

"_Business matters," he responded simply and laughed when he noticed her expression._

"_Am I only going to be getting one or two word answers from you?" she asked with an arched eyebrow._

_He laughed and shook his head._

"_So if you go to school with my sister, I assume you'll be graduating from high school soon too?" he asked._

"_Yes, I'll finally be done in two months," she answered excitedly. "What about you?"_

"_No I graduated from high school a few years ago love," he responded cheekily._

"_Smart ass," she laughed handing him the bottle. "That answer doesn't count so you get to take a drink."_

_He scoffed and took a drink._

"_What are your plans after high school?" he asked, genuinely curious._

"_Take a road trip maybe, go to college," she answered simply. "Do you go to school?"_

"_I do. I'm finishing up my last year as well," he answered, not really wanting to talk about this. "Where do you want to take a road trip to?"_

"_Anywhere, everywhere," she answered with a smile that lit up her eyes. "But who knows if I'll ever actually do it. What are your plans after you're done with school?"_

_He looked at her briefly before he took another drink, taking a little more than he should have. The topic about his future was a frustrating one, especially at the moment._

"_Why wouldn't you take your road trip?" he asked confused._

"_There are lots of things I want to do, doesn't mean I'll actually get the chance to do them," she responded with a shrug._

"_Doesn't seem like a good enough reason," he responded._

_She laughed and slightly shook her head._

"_Maybe, but do we need good enough reasons for everything we do?" she asked._

"_That would probably be wisest," he answered with a laugh._

"_Well I don't think that's always the case," she also responded with a laugh._

"_Give me one example of when that would not be the case," he responded with a raised eyebrow._

_She gave him a playful glare._

"_I don't know," she started, ignoring his laughter. "Have you ever done something that doesn't make total sense but you do it anyway because your gut is telling you to? Has it ever happened when reason and your gut feeling don't match up but you go with your gut feeling anyway?" _

_He would never be able to pinpoint exactly what caused him to do what he did next. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was her words or the way she was intently looking at him as she said these words. Perhaps it was the look she got in her eyes, the way she lit up every time she smiled and laughed. Or maybe it was a combination of everything that had happened between them since the moment he saw her. He would never truly know but what he did know was that without thinking about it, he acted on his gut feeling and moved in to feel his lips against hers, effectively silencing her as their lips touched._

_He almost moaned at how soft her lips felt against his. She slightly parted her lips and he quickly took his opportunity to taste her mouth with his tongue, effectively deepening the kiss. He couldn't refrain this time and let out a small moan as he tasted the sweet tasted of her mouth, getting a taste of the lingering vodka that was still on her tongue. Kissing her was pure bliss and he felt like he would never be satisfied kissing another woman after this._

_Just as quickly as it started, it ended when Caroline hastily pulled back. He looked at her confused._

"_What the hell?" she asked angrily._

_He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. _What was happening?

"_God I'm so stupid! Well played Mikealson, you actually made me think you wanted to get to know me instead of going after the one thing every other guy wants," she said angrily as she stood up._

"_What the hell are you talking about?" he asked annoyed. They were having such a good time, why did she have to ruin it now?_

_She turned around and opened her mouth to argue but quickly closed it again, taking in a deep breath._

"_You know what? Forget it. You are not even worth the calories I'm burning talking to you. Have a good night jackass," she said angrily before turning on her heel and walking away from him._

_Klaus looked at her walking away from him completely bewildered. This had never happened to him before. Sure, he wanted that from her but he really did want to get to know her. He hadn't kissed her with the intention of getting her in bed. He honestly couldn't explain what drove him to kiss her right then. He sighed in frustration as he recalled what Katherine had told him earlier about Caroline. She was not like that and now she thought all he had wanted was to get in her pants._

_Cursing himself he slowly stood up, feeling the effects of the alcohol even more now. He needed to find her and explain himself. He walked back toward the party, looking around for her. When he didn't find her inside, he began to worry. Just then, he spotted Kol in some corner with another brunette Klaus had never seen. He quickly walked over to him._

"_Have you seen Caroline?" he asked, rudely interrupting their conversation._

"_No, perhaps you should check outside," Kol answered annoyed, turning his back on him, effectively dismissing him._

"_Where's Katherine?" he asked irritated._

"_No idea, haven't seen her since I tried talking to her earlier," Kol shrugged impatiently. _

_Klaus growled and turned to look for Rebekah. Maybe she or one of their friends knew where she was. He spotted her barely managing to sit up next to Stefan. At least he appeared to be sober._

"_Have you seen Caroline?" he asked as he approached them._

"_Elena said they were leaving a few minutes ago," Stefan responded with a curious expression._

_Elena had been there? _

_Klaus gritted his teeth and huffed in frustration. The girl his sister was essentially competing against had been there and even worst, the girl that had entranced him all night had left before he got a chance to explain himself. He stood there for a moment, remembering the feel of her lips against his, the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes lit up, her feistiness. He even admired the way she looked when she was angry. Everything about her intrigued him and he knew he needed to know more about her. At that instant, he knew he would have to make things right with her. He was not one to apologize and chase after others, especially women, but she was different. He didn't know if she would even give him the chance to explain but he knew he had to try because somehow, he knew she was worth it. So for the second time that night, he decided he was going to go with his instincts._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Klaus looked down at the blonde currently asleep in his arms and he laughed a little at how much things had changed since that night. It had not been easy, but he eventually got her to come around and give him another chance. Sure, they had their disagreements and got into fights, but chasing after her had been the one decision in his life he had not regretted for an instant. In fact, he would argue it was probably the best decision he would ever make. It brought him to her and now he couldn't imagine life without her.

As all these thoughts crossed his mind, he stared down at her and couldn't resist the urge to kiss the top of her head. As he did so, he felt her stir next to him. He quickly moved his head back as she looked up at him through sleepy and puffy eyes.

"Hi," she whispered with a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Don't worry about it love, I'm here as long as you need me," he said with a reassuring smile. "I just want you to be okay."

She sighed and slowly sat up to look at him.

He tensed next to her in anticipation.

"I met with my parents today," she started tensely after a few minutes of silence. He noticed she was fidgeting with her hands nervously.

He remained silent, waiting for her continue.

"I guess my mom got a call from Bill a couple of weeks ago," she continued.

"Your father?" he asked surprised. He had not been expecting that. No wonder she was so upset.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "He wanted to see us."

"Why?" he asked bewildered. He did not know the entire story but he knew that Caroline's father had abandoned them when Caroline was still a girl and they had not heard from him since.

He remembered how sometimes Caroline would bitterly joke that maybe he wasn't even on the planet anymore but he knew that deep down she cared and was still hurt by his abandonment.

He watched as she took in a deep breath, the tears forming in her eyes again.

"He's sick," she whispered.

Klaus felt himself go rigid. He didn't know what he should say, what he could say to something like this. He noticed the tears begin to run down her face again and he pulled her in to his arms again. He hated how this man only managed to cause Caroline pain and he hated his own inability to comfort her at this moment.

She remained in his arms for a few moments before she tried to wipe her tears and regain her composure as she slowly sat up again.

Klaus looked at her wearily, knowing more was coming. _What could possibly top this news?_

She took in a deep breath again and said nothing for a few moments. He tried to remain patient but the silence was maddening.

"Bill's been diagnosed with Huntington's disease," she finally whispered through a choked voice.

Klaus felt his entire body stiffen. He had heard of this disease before but didn't know any specifics.

She slowly turned to look at him, the tears silently streaming down her face, the pain and fear written all over.

"It's a genetic disease," she continued slowly in a shaky voice.

Klaus suddenly felt as if the air had been knocked out of him and could feel his heart suddenly racing. _What was she saying?_

"There's a chance Kitty and I may have the same thing," she whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

_No…_

**Thanks for reading everyone! I know this chapter isn't exactly what you guys were expecting and I was a little nervous publishing it but I hoped you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! Don't worry, if you guys don't really like flashback chapters, these kinds of chapters are rare. Hopefully you guys weren't confused by the flashback, I wanted to give you guys the story of how exactly Klaus & Caroline met and it felt right for me putting it in here to really show just how far they had come, especially now that things are for lack of a better word, difficult. After writing the last chapter, I also wanted something a little more lighthearted when I wrote this originally so here it is. Somebody said they didn't want Klaus to know but this was something too big for Caroline to keep from him :( Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed & I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I have time & finish making some small changes! Please let me know what you guys think, I love hearing from you guys! **


	6. Chapter 6-Run

**Wow! These are the most reviews I've gotten for any chapter! Thank you so much to Mystery Girl3, Jackiezn, 4everKlaroline, LoveDeb, shiwiii, MrsLeaMorgan, Guests, Marina, Taya, & imstormborn for your reviews! They put huge smiles on my face! Seriously thank you guys so much for your reviews and for everyone who followed and faved you guys are awesome! Anyway, here is the next chapter, it's a little longer than usual just a heads up. As always, please forgive any errors, I didn't catch. Hope you guys enjoy! **

"_**You've been the only thing that's right  
**__**In all I've done  
**__**And I can barely look at you  
**__**But every single time I do  
**__**I know we'll make it anywhere  
**__**Away from here…**__**  
**__**Light up, light up  
**__**As if you have a choice  
**__**Even if you cannot hear my voice  
**__**I'll be right beside you dear  
**__**Louder, louder  
**__**And we'll run for our lives  
**__**I can hardly speak I understand  
**__**Why you can't raise your voice to say…"**_

* * *

"Klaus?" Caroline said in a voice so soft it was barely audible, shifting nervously next to him.

He had not said anything for a few minutes and the silence was starting to drive Caroline crazy. _What is he thinking?_

Klaus was looking straight ahead in front of him but he wasn't really seeing anything. He was trying to process what she had just told him. He heard her move next to him but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't trust himself right then. He could feel those traitorous tears looming just underneath the surface; his breathing had grown shallow as he racked part of his brain to remember how to breathe. As he tried to make sense of everything she had just told him only one thought seemed to cross his mind over and over, like a song that was stuck on never ending replay. _Not her. Please not her._

He stood up silently and walked into her kitchen, not really sure why, he just needed to move, to do something. He battled with a big part of him that wanted to walk out that front door and breathe in the cool night air and feel the cold raindrops on his skin but again, he did not trust himself to go out there. If he did, there was a very good chance that he would keep going and drive away leaving her alone. Klaus was not an emotional person and he did not handle emotional situations well, if at all. Some would consider it a blessing or a curse that he and his family had. But this was different. Caroline needed him and he could not just walk away even if there was a cowardly part of him that wanted to. That part of him that was aching for himself and what losing her would mean for him, that part of him that didn't know how to deal with this.

He stopped in front of the kitchen window, looking out to see rain was once again falling from the dark night sky. He took in a deep breath, contemplating going outside again when he heard her behind him.

"Klaus?" she asked again in that small voice that made him feel like a dagger was being dragged slowly through his heart.

He could hear the fear in her voice and he knew he would be able to see it in her eyes as well. He felt the moisture in his eyes and quickly closed them, cursing himself as he did. He was not an emotional person. He needed to remain composed for her, she needed him, she needed to be reassured that everything was going to be okay not the other way around. But Klaus didn't know how to do that. How did he comfort her and reassure her that everything was going to be okay when he was terrified of the exact same thing himself? Would she be okay? He couldn't imagine a world where she was not in it. He didn't want to.

He tensed as he felt her put a hand on the back of his shoulder.

"Please talk to me," she whispered, tears evident in her voice.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to force down those traitorous tears that kept fighting their way to the surface. He slowly brought up a hand to lay it over the one she had on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. He still couldn't get himself to look at her however, not yet.

"It's going to be o-" she started gently, but he interrupted.

"Don't," he said a little loudly.

He cursed himself as he felt her begin to withdraw her hand but he stopped her by tightening his hold.

"You shouldn't be the one to have to reassure me Caroline," he said in a tight voice, hoping she wouldn't hear the fear in his own voice.

"Klaus look at me," she said softly.

He tensed and kept looking straight ahead. He was sure he would break down if he looked at her right then.

"Please look at me, talk to me," she pleaded in a broken voice that again felt like a dagger through his heart.

He slowly turned around, fighting against every fiber in his body that was protesting. His body had learned to be on the defensive, never being open to vulnerability after years of being hurt but somehow he managed to make the exception with her. He was coming to learn that she was the exception to many of his rules.

Keeping his hand entwined with hers, he finally turned to face her but still did not bring his gaze down to meet hers. He was looking over the top of her head when he felt her other hand come up to gently caress his cheek the way they had done so many times before when trying to comfort each other. He felt the moisture in his eyes once more and immediately closed them, not wanting her to see.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered gently. "We've gotten through a lot worst."

He snapped his eyes open and looked at her in disbelief.

"What has been worst than this Caroline? What could be worst?" he asked as steadily as he could.

She lowered her gaze and took in a deep breath, not saying anything at first.

"Give me a minute, I'll think of something," she tried to joke with a half-hearted smile.

He looked at her seriously, unable to return her smile.

"This isn't a joke Caroline," he said in a strained voice.

She brought up both hands to cradle his face.

"It's going to be okay Klaus," she said gently, a tear streaming down her face.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I'm not…but I have to believe everything is going to be okay somehow. I have to believe that my sister is going to be fine because if I allow myself to consider the alternative…"she broke off, not daring to continue as the tears flowed freely from her eyes.

Klaus didn't know what to say so he let his actions do all the talking for him. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her as she wrapped her arms around him, slightly shaking from the sobs that were coming from her small body. He needed her to know that he was there for her, that he would always be there for her because she was one of the most important people in his life. He needed her. As he held her, he rested his head against hers, breathing in her flowery scent and before he could stop himself, he felt the first tear run down his face and into her hair. He held her against him even tighter; almost as if she were his only hope that everything would be all right as he felt more tears replace the one that had fallen. Each tear that fell from his eyes seemed to carry a ton of fear, misery, loneliness, and anger in every drop. Caroline and her sister were some of the best people he knew, he would go as far as to swear that the world was a better place because of them. How was it possible that something like this could happen to them and their family? In what world was that fair?

He wasn't sure how long they stood this way but he desperately tried to regain his composure before she could see him like this. He felt her grip on him loosen and he stepped back lightly, looking away as he tried to wipe the lingering tears from his face. He had not cried in years, not since one of the darkest days of his life. This whole situation made him uncomfortable and he was suddenly frustrated that he was being confronted with these emotions again. It was exactly because of these reasons that he did not let anyone in because if he kept everyone at a distance, then they couldn't hurt him the way he was hurting now.

"What happens now?" he asked quietly, not sure he wanted to know the answer to this but at the same time, needing some guidance for what the future would hold now. _Would she be moving back with her parents? Would she want to see her father again now that she knew he was sick?_

Both thoughts pained him for different reasons but he could not be selfish. He would support her through all of this.

He heard her sigh behind him.

"I honestly don't know," she said in a low voice. "I never thought this could happen to us, how do you begin to plan for what you're supposed to do next?"

He sighed too and turned to face her, taking her hand in his again. He needed to feel her to be comforted.

"We'll take it one day at a time love and whatever you decide, I'll be here for you every step of the way," he said honestly in as steady a voice as he could muster.

He had said this to her in the past but this time it was different. These words were still as true as ever but this time there was a very real chance he could lose her and that thought alone was more than he could bear.

He felt some relief as he saw the smile that took over her face, reaching her eyes and he felt some comfort and pride in knowing he was the one who put it there, that his words meant that much to her.

"Will you be here with me tonight as I indulge in chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream until I feel sick to my stomach?" she asked with a small smile that did not match the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm here until the day you send me away love," he said, honesty ringing through his voice. He hoped that day would never come.

"Well looks like you're stuck with me until the end Mikaelson," she said with that same small smile as she quickly stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

He felt a small smile tug on his lips for the first time that night as she turned away to get the ice cream from the freezer. He thought about how this was the second time she had kissed him tonight. She never did this. He sighed to himself as he realized how his moods tonight seemed to revolve around what she did and said. When had she gotten under his skin this way?

She held up the pint of ice cream and two spoons for him to see, motioning for him to follow her so he did. They ended up sitting on the coach again, side by side as she curled up into him and he wrapped one arm around her. He felt a knot form in his throat, as he thought about the possibility of losing this one-day.

"Where's Kitty?" he asked, both out of curiosity and to try and distract himself from those somber thoughts.

He felt her body tense and he looked down to see she was absent-mindedly playing with the spoon and the pint of ice cream.

"She's staying with our parents for the night," she answered in a small voice.

That seemed odd to him. He knew Caroline and her sister were extremely close and would never leave each other alone at times like these. He knew her too well. She was hiding something.

"Why didn't you stay as well?" he asked.

"I needed some space, some time to think," she answered honestly.

"It seems odd to me that Kitty would not come with you. You would never leave each other alone through times such as these," he said looking down at her, trying to read her face. She was refusing to meet his gaze.

He felt a stab of annoyance when she simply shrugged and kept playing with her spoon and ice cream.

"What aren't you telling me Caroline?" he asked tensely.

She stayed quiet for several moments and Klaus knew he had been right to suspect something.

"Caroline please, just be honest with me and tell me what is going on," he pleaded in a soft voice that was unlike him. Quite frankly, he was irritated that she was leaving details out and part of him was also dreading what she had to say. How much more could he handle for that night?

"Kitty stayed at our parent's because she's going to try to be tested tomorrow," she answered in that same small voice from before, once again refusing to meet his gaze.

"Tested? Tested for what?" he asked, arching up his eyebrow in confusion.

"Since Huntington's is a genetic disease she's trying to get tested to see if she carries the gene," she explained softly slowly brining up her gaze to look at his reaction.

"You can be tested right now to know if you're carrying the gene?" he asked, the wheels in his head spinning as he processed this new bit of information. Why had she kept this from him? He looked down at her with wide eyes as it dawned on him.

"You're not getting tested are you?" he asked in a tight voice that was barely a whisper.

She slowly sat up and looked down at her lap without answering him.

"Caroline?" he said, his voice strained as he tried to control the range of emotions battling within him.

"I don't know Klaus, I don't know," she answered in a defeated voice.

"What don't you know love? Why wouldn't you want to know for sure instead of living out your years wondering and in fear?" he asked incredulously, the emotions seeping through his voice. Why was she giving this a second thought?

"Because this isn't the kind of information you can just unlearn once you learn it. I don't know if I want to know this right now," she answered defensively.

"Caroline I can understand if you're afraid but you need to consider that walking around in ignorance to something as important as this is not wise love," he argued, cursing the entire situation as felt the moisture in his eyes once again. Based off of tonight, you would never believe he was not an emotional person.

"It's my life Klaus! Learning this information isn't going to change anyone else's life, only my own," she argued angrily through tears.

"Won't change anyone else's life?" he repeated angrily. "What about your parents? What about your sister? Your friends? What about _me_?" he yelled and angrily stood up facing away from her as he felt his chest tighten and a single tear roll down his face with the others threating to follow soon after.

"This isn't about you Klaus, this isn't about any of you. I know you guys care and would be hurting but you guys would learn to cope and move on but how would I do that if I find out I have a death sentence looming over my head?" she asked and Klaus could hear the tears in her voice.

He turned to look at her, torn between the anger and sadness he felt at her words. She was insinuating this wasn't as important to him as it was to her which angered him, but it also saddened him that she didn't understand just how much she meant to him. He was torn between wanting to hold her in his arms and try to comfort her and wanting to scream some sense into her.

"This isn't about me? I'll learn to cope and move on you say?" he asked sarcastically his voiced laced with rage, the tears burning in his eyes. "You tell me, would you 'cope and move on' if the tables were reversed and it was I in your situation?"

"I would respect you enough to respect your decisions," she answered firmly as she wiped away some of the tears.

"But would you just move on and deal with it?" he asked again angrily, stepping closer to her.

She looked at him and did not answer.

"How do I move on from this Caroline? How do I move on from the fact that I'm going to lose my best friend, the best thing that's ever happened to me? How do I cope with that?" he asked angrily as the tears started flowing freely down his face. "Tell me how Caroline because at the moment I have no bloody idea how I'm supposed to just move on and go about my day and life when there's very well a chance you may not be a part of it."

He walked away toward the door angrily, hating her at that moment for belittling his pain and how he would be affected by all of this. Why couldn't she see how much he cared for her and how this whole thing was breaking him apart on the inside?

"Klaus wait," she said through broken sobs.

He stopped with his door on the handle, once again torn between escaping this whole situation and staying behind to be there for her no matter how much it broke his heart. He took in a deep breath as he felt her behind him again and felt his chest tighten once more as she wrapped both of her arms around him from behind and he could feel her tears through his shirt. He let out his breath slowly as a fresh wave of tears commenced and suddenly he felt exhausted and defeated. He removed his hand from the door handle, making his decision. It would always be her.

"I'm sorry love," he whispered in a hoarse voice, hoping to hide the tears in his voice.

"No I'm sorry Klaus. I wasn't thinking-" she started but he interrupted.

"Sshh love don't," he choked out through a thick knot that had formed in his throat.

He felt her release her grip and place a hand on his shoulder to turn him to face her.

"I'm scared Klaus. I never thought I would have to deal with any of this when I planned out the rest of my life…I always pictured going to college, being the maid of honor at my sister's wedding, meeting someone and falling madly in love, taking my parents to go play Bingo at the "Y" on Sundays, convincing Kitty to let me name her firstborn, getting married…but they say life never goes according to plan and I've had to make some changes like planning out both Bonnie's and Elena's wedding down to the last detail, fighting with Kol over who gets to be groomsmen number 2 or "groomswoman" in my case at your wedding, planning out your first art show exhibit, fighting with Kol and Rebekah over naming your firstborn, taking our kids to the park on Saturdays and watching them play like brothers and sisters as you and I sit on the bench sharing some dessert that's super unhealthy…" she said with a small smile that was so sad it was almost heartbreaking. "But never did I think I would have to plan around, oh Bill walks into the picture again and he has Huntington's disease and there's a 50% chance Kitty and I might have it too," she said bitterly, wiping at the tears streaming down her face.

Klaus felt like someone had physically ripped through his chest and taken ahold of his heart and were squeezing it tightly with every word she said when she spoke about the future she had envisioned. The last part about him getting married, and their children playing together had almost been too much for him. The life she had envisioned was a life he dared not dream of so that he wouldn't have to feel the disappointment when he inevitably ended up alone which he knew he would. Already he was in danger of losing her, someone that was so precious to him.

"I'm scared too love," he whispered in a voice in that was barely audible, shocked by his own admission of this to Caroline.

She stepped closer to him.

"I'm scared of losing you," she admitted in a voice that mimicked his own.

He swallowed hard as he felt that knot form in his throat again and his chest tighten, fresh tears stinging his eyes.

"Sweetheart that'll never happen," he managed to say as he pulled her into him, brining his lips to the top of her head and then her forehead as he felt her wrap her arms around him again.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she asked after a long while, in a small voice as she brought up her gaze to meet his own. "I don't think I'll be able to get any sleep otherwise."

He felt that familiar tightening feeling around his chest as he looked down at her and silently nodded his head even though a part of him was protesting that he needed to leave and start putting space between them, it was the only way he would not be hurt. But as he followed her into her bedroom, he knew it was too late for that. He was in too deep.

He sat on the edge of her bed replaying the whole conversation from that night over in his head, growing frustrated as he felt that familiar pain course through him as he thought about the possibility of her having the disease and her refusal to find out for sure. He tried to distract himself and silently looked around her room as she went to the bathroom to change and all of a sudden he felt awkward being there. When he said he would stay with her until she fell asleep, he had not really thought about it, it was second nature for him to agree to help her and while that is all he was doing, he still couldn't fight that feeling of awkwardness that overtook him at the moment.

As he saw her walk in to the room in a pair of sweatpants and baggy sweater he almost smirked at how different this all was. This was certainly a first for him. He never waited for women to get ready for bed unless they were going to be indulging in one another for a portion of the night and typically, they would return in a lot less clothing than Caroline had, yet somehow she still managed to look absolutely beautiful. He shook his head as he reminded himself that Caroline was once again the exception.

He looked over at her as he heard let out a sigh that almost sounded nervous as she walked quietly to a side of the bed and climb in underneath the blankets. He let out a sigh too as he slowly removed his shoes and climbed onto the other side of the bed, laying on top of the blankets as he gently pulled her into him, wrapping one arm around her and slowly began caressing one of her arms up and down with his thumb. She curled into him, resting her head against his chest and wrapping one arm around his waist. They lied like this for a long moment, neither one saying anything and he was beginning to wonder if she had fallen asleep when she spoke.

"I wouldn't by the way," she whispered sleepily against his chest.

"Sorry?" he asked confused, not sure he had heard her correctly.

"If the tables were reversed and it was you in this situation, I wouldn't move on," she explained in a whisper that was so soft he almost wondered if he was imagining it but then she added, "I would fight it with every last breath because I wouldn't know how to function in a world where you didn't exist."

Klaus felt his chest tightening and his breathing grow shallow as he processed what she had said. She cared about him in a way that nobody ever had, not even his own family. She knew some of his darkest secrets, had seen him at his worst and yet she never looked at him with pity or resentment. In fact, she always seemed to light up when she saw him and treated him like he was worthy of being loved. When he was with her he didn't have to pretend to be somebody he was not, he felt free and genuinely _happy_. For the most part anyway. Lost in his thoughts about different ups and downs he had had with her, he felt a range of emotions forcefully battle within him and suddenly he felt he needed to get out of there. He looked down at her and could tell by her breathing that she had fallen asleep so he carefully, and a little begrudgingly, disentangled himself from her, slowly rising from the bed so as not wake her. He looked down at her a moment longer once again battling with himself to stay with her and feel her in his arms, or escaping the way he had been tempted to so many times that night. He leaned in over her quietly and pressed a feathery light kiss to her temple and gently pushed back a loose curl from her face.

"I'll fight it with every last breath too love," he whispered in a tight voice.

As he walked out of her house, he welcomed the cool night air and the wind that caressed his face. The night sky was covered with clouds that promised rain and let them know the storm was not over. It had just begun.

Klaus knew he would not be getting any sleep tonight so he went to the one place where he knew he would find some relief by numbing his pain. As he sat alone in the bar that he so frequently visited, he couldn't let his mind stop thinking about one person: Caroline.

* * *

He awoke with a start to the sound of a blender being used in the kitchen. He instantly jerked his head to take in his surroundings. He did it too quickly however, as he soon felt his head spinning and protesting his foolish move. As he looked around he noticed he was definitely in his apartment but he could honestly not remember how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was finishing his second bottle of bourbon and getting into an argument with the bartender that told him he was being cut off.

"Ah you're awake," somebody said from doorway to his room.

Klaus turned to look at the source of the voice and groaned.

"What are you doing here Elijah?" he asked, his voice dripping in annoyance.

"Well I certainly hoped you would be in a better mood this morning but judging by the amount of alcohol you consumed, I think it's fair to assume your body is punishing you at the moment?" Elijah asked in a tone that Klaus would swear had a hint of amusement.

"How did I get back here?" he asked, changing the subject. He did not want to discuss his mood and what had caused him to drink way too much last night.

"I received a phone call from you rather late, asking me to come get you from 'your second home'?" Elijah responded, slightly arching his eyebrow at the last part. "Needless to say it took me several minutes and a conversation with a grumpy bartender to find out exactly where you were."

Klaus mentally cursed himself for calling his brother to pick him up, why hadn't he called Stefan?

"Well thank you for being my rescuer, now if you'll excuse me I am in desperate need of aspirin and a shower," he said as he slowly got out of bed, careful not to make any sudden movements that would upset his vision that was currently hazy at best. He was definitely still drunk.

He took his time in the shower, replaying the events from the previous day in his mind and feeling that familiar frustration and fear course through him. He wondered if Caroline would be awake yet. Would she be disappointed that he had left?

After he finally got out of the shower and got dressed, he went to get his phone to call and check on her when he was surprised to hear a knock on the door followed by Elijah's voice asking him if he was decent. He glanced down at his phone and noticed it was almost noon. Elijah should be at the office. _He _should be at the office too.

"Why are you here Elijah? Shouldn't you be off kissing some new investor's ass?" Klaus asked sarcastically as Elijah walked into the room.

"There will be plenty of time for kissing investor's asses later. Right now there are more pressing matters," Elijah said simply, with a slight edge to his voice.

Klaus was both curious and surprised by his brother's response.

"What could be more important to the great Elijah Mikaelson than sealing some multimillion dollar deals?" he asked in that same sarcastic tone as before.

"You," Elijah answered seriously, looking at him with the same serious expression.

Klaus rolled his eyes and groaned again. He was not in the mood for one of Elijah's lectures about taking responsibility for his life. All he wanted was to call Caroline and check on her.

"You can spare me the lecture Elijah I am no mood. I appreciate you coming to get me and I apologize if I have further shamed the family with my irresponsible actions," he said sarcastically although deep down he was irritated.

"Your mockery of the decisions you are making in your life is a matter I would like to discuss but that is not what I was referring to at the moment," Elijah said seriously walking over to sit next on the bed next to him.

"Then what are you referring to dear brother?" he asked tensely, trying to hide his curiosity. _This better not be about our mother._

"Last night when I went to get you, you mentioned Caroline," Elijah said tensely.

Klaus immediately felt his body stiffen. What had he said?

"Did I now? What exactly did I say?" he tried to smirk although his voice came out completely tense.

He noticed Elijah shift uncomfortably next to him.

"You mentioned that there was a very good chance she was sick…and that you were going to lose her," Elijah answered with an obvious strain to his voice.

Klaus felt himself go rigid and his breathing accelerate as he looked away from his brother not knowing what to say. This was not something he had anticipated talking to his family about, and much less in the condition he was in. His family was not emotional; they did not handle difficult situations such as this well.

"Niklaus what is happening with Caroline?" Elijah asked gently which was so unlike him.

Klaus took in a deep breath.

"She's dealing with some unexpected and unfortunate turn of events. Let's leave it at that brother," he said tensely as he looked down at his feet and tightened the grip on his knees, hoping to dispel some of the tension he felt by adding some physical pain.

Elijah sat quietly for a few moments, not moving or saying a word.

"Can I offer some assistance in any way?" Elijah asked quietly turning to look at him.

Although he would never admit it, Klaus was touched by his brother's offer and consideration but he quickly shook his head.

"This is all news to Caroline as well. She and her family are still trying to figure everything out…" he trailed off, feeling that familiar lump in his throat.

"Let me know if there is anything I can do," Elijah responded.

Klaus merely nodded his head, uncomfortable with this conversation he was having with his brother. It was too emotional for his own liking.

"And how are you?" Elijah asked tensely.

Klaus sighed. This is why he didn't talk to his brother.

"I'm fine as can be Elijah," he responded sarcastically.

"I'm worried about you Niklaus," Elijah said tensely and Klaus could hear the honesty in his voice, which only pained him further.

"There's nothing to worry about Elijah. I'm not the one who's possibly sick," he responded tensely, wanting nothing more than to end this conversation right then.

"You are hurting because of this more than you would care to admit but I saw you last night Niklaus…you care for her a great deal and this…"Elijah trailed off.

"Well you can't exactly expect me to rejoice at the thought of my best friend possibly receiving a death sentence right now can you?" he asked impatiently, an obvious edge to his voice as he stood up and walked toward the window, facing away from his brother.

"The thought of losing her terrifies you," Elijah said from behind him and Klaus could almost hear a sense of pain in his voice.

Klaus clenched his jaw in frustration. _Thank you for stating the obvious._

"Is there a point to this conversation Elijah or are you just going to state the obvious?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Why won't you let us in Niklaus? We are your family and this is as much a trying time for you as it is for her," Elijah said firmly and almost pleadingly from behind him.

Klaus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took in a deep breath.

"What do you want me to say Elijah?" he asked loudly, growing angry by the conversation.

"How you feel about this, anything. Why do you always have to close up and push us away when it gets difficult? You did the same with-"Elijah started but was cut off.

"Don't you dare bring him into this conversation these are completely different things!" Klaus screamed, turning to face his brother, his features contorted with hurt and rage. "What do you want me to say Elijah? Do you want me to break down and confess all my feelings and insecurities about Caroline? Do you want me to open up and tell you that I'm terrified because she's the best thing that had ever happened to me and now like some cruel joke life is threatening to take her away?" he screamed, hating the moisture he was feeling in his eyes once more.

Klaus looked away defeated as the first tear spilled from his eyes and he quickly tried to brush them aside so that Elijah would not see. Klaus hated his brother at that moment for wanting to talk about this and bringing out all of these emotions he despised. Neither one said anything for a long moment, neither one daring to look at the other as they both got lost in their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry this is happening. Caroline is truly a kind and remarkable girl, she and her family do not deserve this and neither do you," Elijah started, pain evident in his voice.

Klaus scoffed at Elijah's last words.

"Let us not discuss what I deserve," he said darkly.

"You are too hard on yourself Niklaus. You are your own biggest enemy and your own greatest obstacle," Elijah said with that same pain in his voice.

"We will have to agree to disagree brother," he said tensely.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Elijah shake his head sadly.

"I always knew I never deserved someone as good as her in my life," he said quietly, the truth of his words weighing on him like a ton of heavy bricks.

"You have a warped vision of yourself Niklaus and that will be your downfall. That will be the reason you lose her…"Elijah said sadly.

Klaus swallowed hard and didn't say anything. Even Elijah believed he would lose her someday, what could he say to that?

"I just want you to know you are not alone in this Niklaus. I am here whenever you need me, all you have to do is ask. Always and forever. Those words are as true today as they ever were," Elijah said in that same sad voice before leaving the room.

Klaus heard him leave his apartment moments later and he let out a breath he was not aware he had been holding. It had been so long since he and his brother had actually had a meaningful conversation and under different circumstances, Klaus might have actually rejoiced a little in that fact but not today. He did however, feel some comfort in knowing his brother still cared and supported him even if he didn't openly say so or show it anymore.

He sighed and dragged his feet back to his bed, wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and shut out the world. He glanced at his phone that was thrown carelessly on the bed and went to pick it up and finally call Caroline when he noticed he had a missed call and a message from her. He anxiously checked it to see what she said.

"_Hey Klaus, I just wanted to say thank you for last night…for everything. I wouldn't be able to get through any of this without you. I'm on my way out to meet my mom and Kitty but I'll see you later. Bye!" _she finished nervously.

Klaus sighed and sent her a quick message apologizing for missing her call and asking her what time he would be seeing her. With that, he took his shirt off and laid back in his bed, closing his eyes and letting his mind drift until he fell into a restless sleep.

Hours later he was woken to the sound of his doorbell ringing. Groaning, he opened his eyes to see that it had gotten dark out. He dragged his body off the bed and slowly worked his way to the door as he heard the doorbell ring again.

"Caroline," he said surprised as he opened the door and saw her waiting there next to Stefan.

He frowned a little as he noticed that they were both dressed up. He was wearing a white button up shirt and dark suit pants and jacket and she was wearing a thin white sweater and red strapless dress with a sweetheart cut that reached just a little below mid-thigh. She had paired this with a thin silver necklace that had a single small diamond and some small diamond tear drop earrings. Her hair was in loose curls and she was wearing a little bit of eye makeup and a nude pink lipstick and lipgloss. He swallowed hard as he took in her appearance; she looked absolutely _ravishing_.

He noticed a blush creep up to her cheeks and realized he had probably been staring too long again.

"You're not the one being auctioned Klaus I think you can put on a little more clothes than that," Stefan teased as he gave him a pointed look.

"What are you talking about? Why are you all so dressed up?" he asked confused, trying not to let his gaze linger over Caroline too long again.

"Are you serious? The auction is tonight remember?" Caroline asked with a small laugh.

He raised his eyebrows at her as he remembered what she was talking about. Several weeks ago she had told him about a Valentine's Day auction she had organized at David's pub for the town's single people. "It'll be something fun for us lonely hearts to do," she had said.

"You're seriously going to that tonight?" he asked incredulously, completely surprised that she would still be going to that after what she had just learned and was dealing with.

She gave him a pointed look and laughed a little.

"I have to, I'm the one who organized the entire thing," she answered. "I'm pretty sure David would kill me if I bailed on him last minute."

"David's going to be there?" he asked again surprised. "With Kitty?"

She gave him that same pointed look and nodded her head before answering.

"Of course, why wouldn't they be?" she asked with a small smile.

He looked at her confused and then realized that she had probably not mentioned anything to Stefan. He wondered if Kitty had told David yet?

"Seriously Klaus, Stefan's right. You're not the one being auctioned tonight so you need to put on a shirt or something. I believe David has a sign on the door that says "No shirt, No service," she tried to tease.

He rolled his eyes and stepped back for them to come in and then he walked to his room to get dressed. He was genuinely in no mood to go to this stupid auction but Caroline had practically twisted his arm, figuratively, until he had agreed that he would go with her. Without really putting much thought into it, he grabbed the first shirt and pants he found that were pressed. When he walked out, Stefan smirked at the sight of him.

"Come on Klaus, Caroline planned a Valentine's Day auction not a funeral," he said with a small laugh.

Klaus' jaw tensed at Stefan's choice of words but he looked down at what he was wearing and properly noticed he was wearing all black; a black button-up long sleeve shirt and black pants.

He caught Caroline's eye for a second and turned back to Stefan and simply shrugged.

"Where's your Valentine's Day spirit? Today is supposed to be all about romance and warm feelings. What did you and Tatia get into it again?" Stefan asked curiously.

Klaus instantly felt his body go rigid. He had forgotten all about Tatia. _On Valentine's Day._

"Shit!" he muttered, brining a fist up to his mouth. How was he going to talk himself out of this one?

"Oh," Stefan said in a low voice, as he seemed to catch on.

Caroline looked at him with wide eyes, her face tense.

"Have you talked to her at all today?" she asked him a little apprehensively.

He simply looked at her and said nothing, too embarrassed to say the words out loud. Who forgot about their girlfriend on Valentine's Day? He noted she had not tried to contact him all day either but something told him it was because she was waiting for him to contact her.

"You should go surprise her," Caroline said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He looked at her completely surprised. He knew Caroline was not very fond of Tatia so he had not been expecting this suggestion to come from her.

"I think it's your best chance at her not dumping your ass for forgetting about her on Valentine's Day," she said with her typical Caroline sass.

"What about your auction?" he asked, feeling completely torn.

"It wasn't really fair for me to hold you to that after you got into a relationship, it is for single people after all. I also feel kind of responsible, I know your mind has been preoccupied with a few other things," she said in a small voice.

He looked at her unconvinced. It was because of these other things that were preoccupying his mind that he wanted to stay with her.

"Don't worry, Stefan will bid on me," she said with a reassuring smile.

"I make no promises I'll actually win though," Stefan said with a small laugh as he saw Caroline's expression.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll bid every last penny you own Salvatore," she warned with a smile.

"Don't worry Klaus, I'll take care of her. You go do whatever you need to do," Stefan said with a small smile.

Klaus looked at both of them apprehensively before letting his gaze fall back on hers. He could still see the fear and pain in her eyes but she was masking it well. Anybody that didn't really know her would never suspect anything was wrong. A big part of him was protesting against leaving her but he knew he owed it to Tatia to be there with her.

He silently nodded his head and walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, completely ignoring Stefan who was witnessing the whole thing.

"Happy Valentine's Day Klaus," she whispered to him as she wrapped her arms around him too.

He didn't say it back, in his opinion there was nothing happy about this day. If he thought he hated this day before…

"You look ravishing tonight love," he said with a small smile that grew when he saw some color appear on her cheeks. "Have fun tonight."

She gave him a small smile and was stepping back when he stopped her and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I'll call you later love," he said gently looking down at her.

She looked at him a little flustered and nodded her head, quickly shifting her attention back to Stefan who had been completely quiet through the whole thing.

"You ready?" she asked a little too quickly.

"When you are," he answered, looking between the two of them curiously.

Klaus watched them leave with longing and regret. As much as he did not want to go to the auction, he did not want to leave Caroline's side at this moment. He needed to know what had happened when they had gone to the doctor's office earlier that day, what she was thinking, if she was reconsidering getting tested…he sighed in frustration and grabbed his car keys and quickly walked out the door before he changed his mind and went after them. He glanced down at his phone and noticed it was almost six. If he hurried, he could make it to Tatia by nine and maybe they could catch a late dinner somewhere or so he hoped.

As he sped down the highway, his thoughts kept drifting back to Caroline and a part of him felt bad that on this day, the day you were supposed to be thinking about your significant other, his mind had been preoccupied with her instead of his girlfriend. He quickly told himself that he had reasons to be thinking about Caroline, she was his best friend and she was going through a crisis. He then tried not to think about that however, because then it took just about everything in him to not turn the car around and go speeding back to her. He knew she needed him and he would be there for her, he just needed to make things right and save his relationship.

Since Tatia had been using his credit card, Klaus knew exactly what hotel she was staying at so a few hours later, he finally pulled into the hotel's parking lot and self-consciously walked into the hotel lobby as he realized that he didn't even buy her a present. It was too late for him to stop and buy her anything anywhere unless he got her something from the hotel lobby gift shop. Yeah, he was definitely digging his own grave.

A few minutes later, he found himself walking down the hall to where her room was. Naturally she booked one of the most expensive suites on the top floor. He took in a deep breath as he stood outside the door, mentally preparing himself to go in there. He knew she was there with some friends so he sincerely hoped none of them were there to witness the fight that was sure to follow.

Sighing, he put the key into the card reader and opened the door, surprised to find the room dark. He wondered for a moment if she was even there when he heard some noises coming from around the corner. He walked over slowly, curious as to what he was hearing. He turned the corner to see the lamplight from the outside reflecting off of Tatia's bare back, her long dark hair cascading down her back as her head was tipped forward, grunting as she grinded her hips against some faceless stranger underneath her. He felt like he was in a daze as he heard both of their grunting and moaning when he heard the faceless man say, "Happy Valentine's Day." He suddenly felt rage surge through him from head to toe as he recognized the man's voice and then he saw red…

**Thanks for reading everyone! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, I know it was heavier than the last one. Sorry I meant to get this up before Valentine's day but work & class have kept me very busy! I know I know, poor Klaus when it rains it pours! But I love him so don't worry, there are some good moments up ahead for him in the next few chapters I promise! Next chapter we'll also get Caroline's point of view and what happened at the doctor's, auction, etc. When I wrote this chapter it just came out to write it from Klaus' point of view and when I was making some changes, I just felt it flowed better to keep it that way so sorry we didn't see much of Caroline but next chapter we will. As you guys can probably tell, I absolutely love hearing from you guys so please let me know what you guys think!**


	7. Chapter 7-Stand by Me

**Ahhh so excited with the reviews for last chapter! Thanks so much to Mystery Girl3, LoveDeb, Jackiezn, Ouat-in-vampirediaries, MsCindz, 4everKlaroline, MrsLeaMorgan, shiwiii, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, Marina, and Guests for your reviews I really appreciate them! I know I say it all the time but they seriously do put smiles on my face! :) Thank you so much to everyone who followed and faved as well! You guys are awesome thank you for all the support! Again I meant to have this put up sooner but this is a longer chapter so by the time I was done making edits and changes, it felt like I had pretty much rewritten most of it. Please forgive any errors you guys catch and hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

"_**Let me see you through**_

'_**Cause I've seen the dark side too**_

_**When the night falls on you**_

_**You don't know what to do**_

_**Nothing you confess**_

_**Could make me love you less**_

_**I'll stand by you…"**_

* * *

Caroline sighed for what must have been the tenth time in the last half hour, fidgeting nervously with everything she could get her hands on. She didn't understand why she was as nervous as she was; nobody knew anything about her father and her current predicament. Yet somehow, she couldn't shake that anxiety as she thought about having to face some of her friends that night.

"Care!" a group of voices exclaimed at the same time from behind her.

Caroline quickly turned around to see her friends Elena and Bonnie walking toward her and she was surprised to see Katherine with them.

"Hey guys!" Caroline greeted with a bright smile.

Despite everything going on with her and her family at the moment, she was genuinely glad to see her friends again, having not seen them since right before New Year's Eve. She had not seen Katherine since she had moved out of the state a year ago.

"Katherine what are you doing here? When did you get back?" she asked with that same bright smile as she pulled her into a tight hug. She had really missed the Gilbert twin.

"Long story for another time," Katherine said cryptically. "Elena and Bonnie were kind enough to tell me about this fun event so tonight is all about selling my body for the sake of the greater good," she said with a devious grin.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed at her friend's ability to make anything sound so sexual and wrong. She saw Elena and Bonnie do the same thing as they all exchanged warm hugs.

"This isn't an escort service, it's an auction where services offered by escorts are definitely not encouraged nor allowed," she said with a playful smile and arched eyebrow.

"I wouldn't say that out loud if I were you. I don't think everybody in here got the memo," Katherine said with a smirk.

"Why do you say that?" she asked slightly confused.

"Because there are way too many people here. I know you guys said it was for charity or whatever but trust me when I say people are not that generous. Especially on Valentine's Day," Katherine said with that same devious grin.

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows as she considered Katherine's words.

"Don't listen to anything she says," Elena said with a small laugh. "It's Katherine!"

"That's my name and don't wear it out," Katherine said with a slight smirk before wrapping an arm around Caroline's shoulder and laughing. "Come on let's get some booze into my system!"

Caroline laughed and turned to look at her two friends with raised eyebrows as Katherine dragged her away.

"I'm definitely not on baby-sitter duty tonight," Bonnie said quickly to her and Elena.

"So what have I missed since the last time we talked?" Katherine asked as she reached over the bar to grab a bottle of vodka.

"Okay first off you can't just be grabbing things over the bar Katherine," Caroline scolded as she looked over at the bartender, who was currently eyeing them, apologetically.

"It's your brother-in-law's bar, I think that means you get certain perks," Katherine shrugged innocently.

"David is not my brother-in-law one. Second of all, I don't think those perks include finishing half of his liquor supply free of charge," she said with a small laugh.

"Well there's only one way to know for sure what the perks are and what better day to test that theory than today?" Katherine said with a wicked grin as she handed Caroline a glass.

"This is why I never take you anywhere Katherine," Elena said to her with an amused eye roll as she accepted a glass from her as well.

"So how was your trip?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"Let's just say we definitely need to do a repeat and this time you have to come with us," Elena said with a big smile.

"Yeah Care, it wasn't the same without you," Bonnie added next to her.

"Maybe next time," Caroline said with a smile.

"So what's new in the exciting life of fashion designer Caroline Forbes?" Katherine asked as she poured herself another drink.

Caroline silently sighed and decided it was not the place or time to tell them about what she had just learned and opted to tell them some more exciting news instead.

"I'm finishing up my last few weeks of interning at the magazine and according to Stella, they're going to start interviewing for full-time positions soon. The head of our department personally recommended that I apply so I did," Caroline said with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

"I'll drink to that," Katherine said with a smile as she handed each of them a drink.

"Congrats Care!" Bonnie and Elena both exclaimed as they all toasted to wishing her luck.

"You've worked so hard I'm so excited for you," Elena told her as she pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks guys but I haven't gotten the job yet. I haven't even gotten an interview," Caroline said with a small laugh.

"But you will because you're Caroline Forbes, the baddest bitch I know," Katherine said with a wink as she handed her another drink.

They all laughed as they all accepted more drinks from Katherine who quickly moved to get another bottle. Caroline found herself actually enjoying herself and putting all her problems in the back of her mind.

"I have to go see how the sign-ups are going," Caroline said as she finished another drink. _Pace yourself Caroline or you'll be falling on your ass before the auction even starts._

She laughed as all of her friends protested and Katherine tried to hand her a shot glass.

"Guys I'm like practically in charge of this thing so I can't exactly be drinking on the job," she laughed.

"Even workers get breaks right?" Katherine asked with a devious grin.

Just then, Caroline caught sight of Kitty walking in beside David.

"I'll be right back," Caroline muttered quickly as she walked over to her sister.

"Wow pretty good turn-up," David said as he saw her approach them.

"Yeah hopefully it's not because they thought this was some kind of escort service," Caroline said as she thought about what Katherine had said earlier.

"What?" David asked with raised eyebrows.

"I'm joking, it's just something my friend was teasing me about earlier," she reassured him with a small laugh.

She turned to look at her sister who seemed to be conveniently distracted by the Valentine's Day decorations set up around the bar.

"Kitty can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Kitty turned to look warily at David before turning back to her and slowly nodding her head.

"I'll be checking on how things are going," David said with a suspicious look as he eyed the odd behavior between the two sisters.

As soon as he was out of earshot Caroline turned back to Kitty.

"You haven't told him yet have you?" Caroline asked.

"No I haven't but before you say anything, I didn't want to do it today. I just wanted us to enjoy our night as a couple. I am going to tell him, I just need to find the right time," Kitty answered her seriously, her voice sounding pained.

Caroline reached out took her hand.

"Tell him when you're ready. Sorry I'm not trying to pressure you, I just think it would be better if he found out from you," Caroline said in a small voice. "How are you feeling?"

Kitty sighed and looked down for a moment before returning her gaze back to hers.

"Well that doctor's visit certainly scared the shit out of me," Kitty said with a bitter laugh.

Caroline had gone to the doctor's office with Kitty and their mother earlier that day to find out more information about the disease and what their options were. It had been one of the hardest doctor's visits Caroline had ever made in her entire life. They had basically learned how the disease could cause behavior changes, movement problems, dementia, and swallowing difficulties among other things she chose not to think of. The information had proven to be too much for all of them as they tried to imagine living the rest of their lives in these conditions before their eventual demise. Despite her fear, Kitty had insisted she wanted to be tested and had set up an appointment for the end of the week but Caroline still refused. She did not want to make any rash decisions; she needed to feel like she was still in control of the situation, her life, not let her fear or this disease control her.

"I'm sorry I haven't exactly been there to help you with this Care. I haven't even asked you how you're dealing with everything," Kitty said guiltily.

Caroline gave her hand a gentle squeeze and gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry about it, we've both had a lot to process and I'm tougher than I seem," she said with that same small smile.

"Yes you are," Kitty said with a small smile as she pulled her into a hug. "I love you Care Bear and you know I'd do anything for you right?," she whispered.

Caroline felt the tears sting in her eyes.

"I love you too Kitty," she whispered back. "We're gonna be okay, you'll see."

They broke apart and laughed a little as they saw they were both in tears and both quickly began wiping their tears away.

"I see Elena, Bonnie and Katherine are back. Have you told them?" Kitty asked.

Caroline shook her head slowly.

"Wrong place wrong time," she answered in a low voice. "The only one who knows is Klaus."

"How'd he take it?" Kitty asked with a hint of sadness and concern in her voice.

Caroline swallowed as she remembered her conversation with Klaus the night before.

"As well as you could expect him to," she said sadly as she remembered his words and the pain evident in his voice and eyes. She felt her heart wrench at the memory of his tear-streaked face and how he had held her. She had only ever see him cry one other time since she had met him and she hated that she had been the cause of so much pain this time.

She felt Kitty put a hand gently on her arm.

"Klaus loves you, I'm sure this is as hard for him as it is for us," Kitty said sadly.

"That's what he pretty much told me last night in less words," Caroline said grimly.

"I'm glad you have him Care. I know you hated his guts when you first met him but I'm glad that drunken idiot from that night walked into your life when he did," Kitty said with a genuine smile but Caroline could see the sadness behind it.

"Me too," Caroline said with a smile, shuddering at the thought of not having Klaus by her side right then.

"Is he coming tonight?" Kitty asked.

"Nope, he went to surprise his girlfriend," she answered as nonchalantly as she could. Truthfully the mere thought of Tatia annoyed her but she felt guilty that Klaus had essentially forgotten all about her because of the news Caroline had sprung on him the night before.

"Go have fun with your friends Care, you need this," Kitty said with a smile, interrupting her thoughts. "We can deal with our problems tomorrow."

Caroline sadly nodded her head, giving Kitty's hand a tight squeeze before trying to lighten the atmosphere that had settled around them.

"And you better go find your man. You can't leave him all alone on Valentine's Day," Caroline teased.

Kitty nodded her head giving her another small smile before heading off to find David. Caroline looked around and saw Stefan was sitting with Jeremy, Elena's and Katherine's younger brother, and Alaric, their guardian and friend. They all seemed to be engrossed in a conversation so Caroline decided not to interrupt them right then. She went to check on the sign-ups and was pleased to discover that it was almost full.

Looking around the room full of people all having fun, her mind wandered back to Klaus and how everything was going for him. Caroline felt a brush creep up to her cheeks as she recalled how he had looked when he first opened the door for them and had been standing in nothing but a pair of dark jeans. She had been extremely grateful that he had been too distracted by the sight of her and Stefan all dressed up to notice that she had been openly staring at his defined abs and tattoo that adorned his shoulder a little too long. _He looked too damn hot for his own good._

She felt her cheeks redden again at the thought but was pulled away from her thoughts as she heard her friends screaming her name from across the bar. Sighing, she started walking back to her friends but her thoughts remained occupied by another friend who was currently hours away trying to make nice with his shallow girlfriend.

"You guys really need to lay off the booze if you guys are going to be auctioned tonight," she warned them as she reached their table.

"How else do you think I'm going to go through with doing it?" Katherine asked as she downed another shot.

"Okay we'll lay off but join us for a last round Care," Bonnie said with a bright smile as she handed her a shot Katherine had just poured.

Caroline rolled her eyes and laughed a little as she accepted the drink.

"Fine, but last round," she said seriously as she took a seat next to Elena. "What are we drinking to?"

"To being four lonely hearts on this commercialized shitty day that reminds you how you're getting older and alone with no serious prospects on the horizon," Elena said raising her glass.

"Cheers!" they all said at the same time and downed their drinks.

Katherine instantly starting refilling everyone's glasses.

"What happened to 'last round'?" Caroline asked as she saw Katherine fill her empty glass.

"Well that was Elena's toast, we all need to make one if we're being cut off by you," Katherine said simply with her typical devious grin.

"Since it's Valentine's Day, I'm allowed to be petty so here's to men being like toilets. They're either taken or are full of shit," she said as they all laughed.

Caroline looked at her friend questioningly knowing there must be some deeper meaning to her dig at men. The last she had heard, Katherine had met someone and was even starting to go steady. Katherine never went steady with anyone, which made Caroline sadly question what had happened.

"So on that note, here's to spending Valentine's Day single but with my friends from the sandbox, the best friends a girl could ask for," Bonnie said raising her glass.

"You mean the best bitches," Katherine added as they all laughed.

They spent the next hour talking, laughing, and drinking and Caroline felt like she was not carrying a heavy load at that moment.

"So Caroline where the hell is your soul mate?" Katherine asked after a while.

"I ask myself the same thing everyday," Caroline said with a small laugh.

"I'm talking about Klaus. Where is he on this fine evening?" Katherine asked with a smirk.

"He's with his girlfriend, what with it being Valentine's Day and all. And also, he's not my soul mate," Caroline answered as she suddenly felt the need to down another shot.

Katherine snorted into her drink as Bonnie and Elena simply gave her a pointed look and laughed.

"Klaus is seeing someone or just banging someone?" Katherine asked. "And he's totally your soul mate you two just have your heads so far up your asses to realize it but mark my words, you two will end up hooking up, falling in love and making lots of disgustingly cute babies."

Caroline nearly spit out her drink as she heard what Katherine was saying. She had forgotten how blunt her friend could be.

"All I ask is that when it does happen, you tell me how he is in bed so that I know what I gave up just for you Caroline Forbes," she added with a wicked grin and a wink.

Caroline felt the color rush to her cheeks and cringed as she heard Elena and Bonnie howling with laughter.

"What are you talking about Katherine? You're clearly drunk!" Caroline said as she tried to get her face to return to its normal color.

"The night we met Klaus I was ready to jump his bones but I backed off when I saw that he was clearly interested in you," Katherine said simply. "You're welcome by the way."

"Oh thank you for your sacrifice sweet Katherine," Caroline said with a small laugh as she rolled her eyes. She tried not to frown at the thought of Klaus and Katherine together. She had seen them together that night at the party but she never knew that they were going to take it that far. She shouldn't be surprised and it shouldn't bother her but the thought of Klaus with one of her friends _really_ bothered her. _Wow Caroline are you going to be happy with any woman Klaus chooses?_

"It might have been a sacrifice if he's excellent in bed and I can't live with the uncertainty of it all so like I said, I need you to let me know and set me straight once and for all once you two finally do the deed," she said with a loud laugh as she saw Caroline turn bright red.

"And like I said, Klaus is not my soul mate. We are strictly friends and he is happily seeing someone," Caroline said adamantly as she glared at Katherine.

"Oh please Caroline you're going to tell us you're not even remotely attracted to Klaus?" Elena piped up next to her, clearly drunk as well.

Caroline rolled her eyes and decided not to answer them, refusing to go along with their banter. Obviously she thought he was attractive, she wasn't blind!

"He's fucking sexy and that accent honey," Katherine said almost lustfully.

"Maybe you shouldn't have given him up Katherine," Caroline said with a small laugh though she was starting to get irritated.

"It'll be well worth it when I get to say 'I told you so,'" Katherine smirked.

Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Again, Klaus and I are not like that and for the hundredth time, he has a girlfriend," she said seriously.

"I think what you mean to say is that he has a girlfriend _now _and you and Klaus are not like that _yet,_ but hear you me, the day _will_ come when you two give in to that thick sexual tension," Katherine said with wide grin.

"Hear you me, that day will _not _come," she answered.

Katherine smirked and turned to look at Elena and Bonnie, sharing a look with them.

"We do think the lady protests too much," they said and laughed loudly.

Caroline held up her hands in frustration and grabbed the bottle from Katherine as they looked at her surprised.

"I think I'm going to need this whole thing if I'm going to listen to you guys for the rest of the night," she said as she took a long drink from the bottle.

She could hear them laugh and clap beside her.

"Needs a little liquid courage to tell us how she really feels about Klaus and admit that she wants to jump his bones," Katherine smirked.

Just then, they heard somebody start speaking into the microphone announcing that the women should start to line up because the auction was about to begin. It suddenly hit Caroline just how much she had been drinking. To say she was tipsy was an understatement.

"Crap!" Caroline said loudly. "I'm supposed to be up there helping right now."

"No you're supposed to be having fun with us," Elena protested as the others agreed.

"I'm sure your in-law has it under wraps Care. Take a load off," Katherine said loudly. She was definitely drunk too having been the one to drink the most out of all them.

"I haven't exactly done anything since I got here except finish half of David's liquor supply with all of you," Caroline said shaking her head and trying to stand up.

"Come on Care, I came all this way to see you," Katherine protested.

"We're all supposed to be auctioned in a little bit," Caroline suddenly remembered. "And you're all drunk!"

"I wouldn't say that too loudly Care, your in-law is heading this way and he doesn't exactly look happy," Katherine said as she poured herself yet another drink.

Caroline turned around just as David reached their table.

"Caroline can I have a word?" he said seriously.

She gulped and nodded her head as she followed him slowly, the alcohol really doing a number on her vision, toward the back where his office was. She was surprised to see Kitty in there looking worried, her forehead creased in concern.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked a little nervously.

"Matt called me a few minutes ago. He called to say he was not going to be able to make it tonight because he was going upstate with my father," David explained.

Caroline blinked at him confused. She wasn't really sure where he was going with this and the alcohol in her system made it that much harder for her to ponder what he was trying to tell her.

"They were called up there for an emergency. They were called by one of the Mikaelson's," he said grimly.

Caroline gasped as she began to put the pieces together.

"What happened? Klaus was going upstate…what happened David?" she asked in a panic.

"Klaus was arrested," Kitty said tensely looking at her with concern.

Caroline suddenly felt herself go cold as she heard what her sister said.

"Arrested? But what…how…what happened?" she managed to stutter looking at both of them pleadingly for answers.

"I don't know all of the details. My father and Matt are on their way there now and Matt said he would call as soon as he knew more," David said seriously.

Caroline felt as if she were in a daze and all of a sudden felt nauseous.

"I need to go," she said quickly as she turned quickly and almost tripped over her own heel.

"Where are you going Care? You can barely stand on your own," Kitty said as she quickly got up to help steady her.

"I need to go to him," Caroline said again as she walked out of the office. She looked around until she saw Stefan and headed in his direction. She could hear Kitty right behind her.

"Stefan we need to go to Klaus," she said quickly as soon as she reached him.

He looked at her with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked them.

"Klaus has been arrested. We need to go see him," Caroline insisted, fighting the urge to throw up right then and there.

"What? What happened?" Stefan asked, his expression one of complete shock.

"I don't know but I need to see him Stefan," she pleaded, the tears starting to burn in her eyes.

"Caroli-" he started.

"Please Stefan, I need to see him. He's been there for me, I need to be there for him too," she pleaded loudly.

She saw as he looked over at Kitty and then she felt the overwhelming urge to be sick and moved as quickly as she could to the bathroom and barely made it in time. In the midst of being sick, she heard Kitty come in to the bathroom and felt her warm hand pulling her hair back from her face and trying to soothe her. When she was done, she looked up at her through thick tears running down her face.

"I have to see him Kitty. I need to know what happened, I need to know he's okay," she choked out.

Kitty said nothing and helped her up and led her to the sink so that she could rinse her mouth. As she was rinsing her mouth, she felt Kitty rub her back soothingly.

"I know you want to see him Care but you need to let David's dad and Matt handle everything right now. I'm sure he'll have to sort some things out with his family too," Kitty told her softly but held her hand up as Caroline turned around to argue. "Plus you're in no condition to go anywhere right now. We need to take you home."

"I don't want to go home Kitty I want to see him! He's been there for me through everything that happened this weekend and now he needs me to be there for him. I can't just act like nothing is happening and go home and do what? Get some sleep?" Caroline asked incredulously.

They both heard a knock on the door.

"Caroline I think Kitty is right. You're in no condition to go see him right now and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to see him for a while anyway. I can either take you home or take you to my apartment that way you can see him as soon as he gets back," Stefan offered through the door.

Caroline walked to the door and opened it to see him standing there, his forehead creased in worry.

"I'm worried about him too Care but I'm afraid if we go up there we would only be making things worst," he said softly.

"I just need to see him for myself and see that he's okay," Caroline pleaded to both of them.

Just then a drunken Katherine came stumbling toward them, barely managing to keep the contents of her cup in it.

"Care what's wrong?" she slurred. "Stefan! Kitty! Long time no see!" she added when she saw them.

"I think it's time we get you home too," Stefan as he reached out an arm to catch her when she nearly stumbled over herself.

He turned to look back at Caroline.

"We can figure everything out from home, right now we just need to get you guys home," he said softly.

A few minutes later, Caroline was sitting in the passenger seat as Katherine, Elena and Bonnie crawled into the backseat. Kitty had stayed behind to fill in for her and help David with the auction. She could hear Stefan saying something to her about driving them home first but she was only half-listening. Her mind was caught up thinking about Klaus and wondering what had happened that night and she fought the urge to be sick again as she thought of him being arrested. _What could he have done? _She rode silently as she heard the rest of the girls talking incoherently. She could feel Stefan looking over at her every couple of minutes but she kept looking out the window thinking only about Klaus and how horribly this night had ended. This is not how she had envisioned ending this day at all when she first planned it weeks ago. She sighed in frustration, fighting with her eyelids that were beginning to feel heavy. _Damn alcohol always making me sleepy afterward._

"Where do you want me to take you after I drop them off Care?" Stefan asked quietly after he noticed the other girls had fallen asleep.

"To Klaus," she said firmly.

She heard him sigh.

"You know I can't take you there tonight Caroline, we have to be patient. Trust me, I want to see him too," he tried to reason with her.

"Fine, I'll find a way to see him and call you to let you know how he's doing," she answered as she fought with her heavy eyelids.

"Are you always this stubborn?" he asked.

"Klaus says that's my middle name," she responded with a slight eye roll as she thought about how he always said this every time she refused to give in. As she thought about him she felt the panic run through her again at the thought of him being arrested. She needed to see him, she needed to make sure he way okay. She needed him to know he was not alone, the way he had let her know the same thing the night before.

* * *

Caroline felt like she was cocooned in warm clouds when she felt someone gently stroking her hair. She slowly opened her eyes and realized she must have fallen asleep at some point in Stefan's car because she did not remember ever getting out of it let alone making it to bed. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw a nightstand that was not hers and suddenly remembered the hand that had been stroking her hair seconds ago. She immediately snapped her eyes open completely and jerked her head up quickly, wincing as it hurt her throbbing head and turned to see who was sitting next to her.

"It's alright sweetheart you're in Stefan's guest room," Klaus said softly though his voice sounded empty.

She felt like somebody was slowly ripping her heart out of her chest as she took in his appearance. He had some cuts above his right eye and some bruises on his cheek and she could see some scratches that almost looked like claw marks coming around the side of his neck and the other side of his face. She then noticed his hand was heavily bandaged. She was so engrossed with what she was seeing, her mind quickly racing with a million thoughts, that she was startled when she felt him place his other hand on her arm. He immediately withdrew it and looked down at his knees.

"I apologize I wasn't trying to frighten you, in fact I only came because Stefan insisted I come see you," he said in that same tone as before.

She sat up and moved to sit right next to him, placing her hand over his uninjured one.

"I was only scared that something had happened to you," she told him earnestly. "What happened?"

She immediately felt him stiffen and saw his jaw tense the way it always did when he was angry. He didn't say anything for a long time.

"Klaus?" she said in a gentle voice.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said curtly as he pulled away from her and started walking toward the door. "I believe Stefan has some aspirin he left for you. I'll go get it."

She huffed somewhat annoyed. Of course he would choose to close himself off now.

"Seriously? You're choosing now of all times to shut me out?" she asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I'm not shutting you out Caroline you just have more important things to worry about than my concerns," he said in that same empty tone as before. "It's nothing worth mentioning."

"Nothing worth mentioning? You were arrested Klaus and you look like you're coming out of scene from 'Fight Club'" she said almost angrily. "Okay yes I do have things I'm dealing with right now but that doesn't mean I don't care about what happens with you. I will always care about what's going on with you Klaus you know that."

She stood up and came around in front of him to face him when he did not respond.

"I'm worried about you," she said softly and saw the anger flicker in his eyes. "What happened last night?"

"I'm fine Caroline. I don't need to be coddled like some pathetic and naïve child," he said looking away from her.

"That's not what I'm trying to do Klaus. Please don't make me the bad guy in all of this," she said, trying to be patient but realizing she may not get very far with him at the moment. This thought irritated her because she was genuinely worried about him and his refusal to answer was driving her mad.

"Of course not sweetheart. I think it's clear that I'm the bad guy in all of this. I'm the one who nearly beat a man half to death," he said bitterly.

Caroline couldn't help her reaction as she let out a shocked gasp and widened her eyes. She saw the dark expression that crossed his face as he took in her reaction to his admission.

"Is that what you wanted to hear Caroline? That your friend is a monster who nearly beat a man to a pulp in a state of rage," he said with a bitter smirk as he turned away from her.

She stood still for a moment trying to collect her thoughts and process what he had just told her. She knew that he had a temper and could be irrational but she never knew him to be a violent person like this. _What the hell happened?_

Pulling herself together she approached him and put her hand gently on his shoulder only to have him shrug her off. She was a little hurt by this but tried to tell him what she wanted to say anyway.

"Klaus I know-" she started.

"Caroline don't," he said with an edge to his voice.

She ignored him.

"I know you Klaus. I know you wouldn't normally have done what you did-" she was interrupted again.

"Stop defending me! I'm a monster Caroline can't you see that? All I'm capable of is inflicting pain on others!" he yelled angrily still refusing to look at her. "I will not drag you into this so I beg that you leave it alone."

"No you stop! Stop trying to hide and push me away now! I won't let you feel sorry for yourself and push everyone who cares about you away just because of whatever happened last night or because you've managed to convince yourself you're not good enough to be loved!" she yelled back, anger evident in her voice as well.

"Everyone who cares about me?" he repeated sarcastically. "I'm sure there are plenty of those around."

"There are if you'll just let us be here for you instead of going all AWOL on us," she answered in that same tone. "I'm not a pathetic and naïve child who needs to be coddled either Klaus. You don't need to protect me and filter things for me. The good, the bad, the ugly, I'm there for all of it. I've never turned away from it, from you. So don't turn away from me."

He slowly turned to look at her and could see the defiance written all over her face. She wasn't going to back down and give in to him, which both frustrated and relieved him. Once again she was not seeing him as the monster he felt he was. The bruises and scratches on his face, his nearly broken hand, they were all proof that that's indeed what he was.

"I'm not going to do this with you right now Caroline," he finally said, resuming the same empty voice as before.

"Then stop being all doomsday on me and let me help you," she said firmly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He shook his head and almost laughed as he took in her stance. She was the image of defiance at that moment.

"You don't know when to quit do you?" he asked a little grimly.

"My mother didn't raise a quitter," she responded smartly, maintaining her same stance and expression.

He felt his anger melting away right then, feeling exhaustion and defeat overtake him instead after the long night he had.

"I don't need any help right now sweetheart. The lawyers are handling everything… all I can do right now is wait," he said grimly after a long moment of silence, looking down at the floor again.

Caroline remained quite for a few minutes, thinking of ways to approach the subject.

"You don't have to tell me all the details right now if you're not ready but at least tell me something," she pleaded softly.

He stayed quiet for a minute and let out a long sigh before answering. He didn't really want to tell her, he didn't really want to tell anyone, but he owed it to her to give her something after she had been so honest with him about her situation.

"Let's just say that the only one who was surprised when I walked into that hotel room last night was me," he said bitterly. "Needless to say, I lost all self-control as a result."

Caroline instantly felt her body go rigid as she understood what Klaus was telling her.

"Did you catch her…" she trailed off, looking at him to confirm her suspicions.

He simply kept looking straight ahead, his features set in anger.

"That fucking _whore!_ Sorry no pun intended. Slut! Oh I wish I had been there! She better hope that I don't ever run into her or I will-" she stopped when she heard Klaus chuckling as he was looking at her.

"What's so funny?" she asked confused and a little bewildered. Had he finally lost it?

"You sweetheart," he answered with a small chuckle.

"Me?" she asked, arching her eyebrow.

"I find you quite amusing when you get all worked up," he confessed with a hint of the first real smile Caroline had seen from him that day.

"I'm glad you're amused by my being angry," Caroline said with a slight eye roll but a small smile tugging on her lips, happy to see him lighten up even if only for a moment.

"Don't be offended love, I find you to be quite adorable when you're angry and making threats," he added, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"_Adorable_?" Caroline asked, now feeling offended. "Nobody wants to seem "adorable" when they're angry and making threats! You actually want to seem quite the opposite!"

He let out a small laugh at this.

"Like I said, don't be offended Caroline. Maybe you seem that way to me because I know you and I know you incapable of hurting anyone," he said

"Not on purpose but if the situation called for it…" she responded seriously, meeting his gaze. "I'll always defend the people I love."

He sighed and looked away from her. She approached him slowly and cradled his face in her hands.

"You're not a monster for what you did Klaus, you let your anger cloud your judgment but what happened last night does not define who you are," she said softly. "Just because people do terrible things, it doesn't mean they're terrible people."

"What does define who I am Caroline?" he asked seriously, looking deep into her eyes as if searching for the answer in them.

"Not that," she answered gently. "Not what your father said about you, what he believed you would turn out to be, not your mother, your family, not even me. You define who you are. You get to make that decision."

He looked at her with such pain in his eyes that Caroline felt as if her heart was breaking for him right at that instant. He closed his eyes and slowly brought his forehead down to rest it against hers.

"I don't deserve someone like you in my life," he said in a pained voice, his warm breath brushing over her face.

She shook her head sadly.

"I wish you could see yourself the way I do. I see your true colors, the real you and I need him so please stop trying to push me away when you don't want me to see the nasty stuff. I'm not walking away Klaus, I'm not going anywhere," she said gently.

When he didn't say anything she pulled back so she could meet his gaze.

"I'm serious Klaus, I'm not going anywhere so stop trying to push me away when it gets hard and ugly do you understand?" she said seriously.

He simply nodded and surprised her when he placed a soft and gentle kiss on her forehead. She felt a shiver run through her entire body and kept her gaze down, suddenly feeling a little flustered.

"Thank you Caroline," he whispered, looking down at her, and raising her chin to look up at him and meet his gaze.

They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his phone receiving an incoming call. Klaus cursed silently as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and growled as he saw who the caller was. He hit the ignore button, stuffing the phone back in his pocket and turned back to a very confused-looking Caroline.

"Who was that?" she asked curiously.

"Nobody I want to deal with at the moment," he said tensely.

She got the hint that he didn't want to talk about any specifics about last night and decided to leave it alone for right then. She would ask again when the time was right. She hated that Klaus got this way and closed himself off when he was feeling most vulnerable but she had learned to be patient and wait for him to be ready to open up and let her in.

"I hope I made the cut for people you do want to deal with at the moment," she tried to joke to lighten the tension that had suddenly settled in the room.

"You're perhaps the only one who made the cut sweetheart," he said with a trace of a smirk.

"Good because you're coming with me," she said with a smile.

"Going where?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You'll see," she responded as she turned to look for her shoes. She groaned as she realized she had slept in her dress and had completely wrinkled it. "Right now I'm going to go home and change and I expect you to be at my house in an hour understood?"

"Caroline I'm not really in the mood-" he started.

"Nope you don't get to protest. You owe me remember?" she said with an arched eyebrow as she heard him sigh.

"I don't exactly think I'm a sight for sore eyes at the moment love," he said grimly.

"Well good thing I'm not taking you to a model shoot," she responded as she slipped on her heels, praying she was sober enough to walk in them. She felt fine, minus the headache, but she could never be too sure.

"Shouldn't you be resting love? Sounds like you had quite the night and with everything going on-" he said.

"Nice try but you're not talking your way out of this. I'll be fine once I shower and take some aspirin. This trip is as much an escape for you as it is for me. We could both use with a little break right now," she said seriously, meeting his gaze. "So stop arguing and just trust me on this."

He let out another sigh and looked at her for a moment longer before answering.

"Alright love," he agreed a little reluctantly but he couldn't deny her an opportunity to get away from everything she was dealing with at the moment too. He felt a small smile tug on his lips as he saw the smile that broke out on her face. Her smile truly was infectious.

"Meet me at my house in an hour," she told him sternly in case he was thinking about cancelling once she left. "I'll be waiting."

He sighed and followed her out of the room to see Stefan sitting on the couch with an expectant look on his face.

Klaus almost groaned. He had hoped Stefan would drop the conversation they had started earlier but by the looks of it, that was far from being the case. Caroline looked between the two of them curiously.

"Thanks for letting me crash in your guest room and for you know, everything," she said with a pointed look toward Klaus. She was very thankful that Stefan had made sure that Klaus had come see her first thing like he had promised.

"You're welcome Caroline," he said with a small smile. "Do you need a ride back?"

"No it's okay. I can catch the shuttle that stops down the street. I'll leave you two…and I'll see you later," she added looking at Klaus. "Don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it sweetheart," he said a little tensely.

She looked hesitantly between the two a last time, not sure what was going on, before making her exit. When she made it outside, she smiled as she saw that although the sky remained dark and with a threat of rain, it wasn't raining right at that moment. She was starting to walk in the direction of the shuttle stop when she stopped in her tracks as she saw who was walking toward the building she had just left.

"Miss Forbes," Esther greeted coldly as she stopped in front of her took in her appearance.

Caroline all of a sudden felt a little self-conscious. _Great, she probably thinks I'm doing the walk of shame. _

"Good morning," Caroline greeted, trying to be polite.

"I would hardly say there's anything good about it but perhaps you have been too busy to have heard the news of my son's arrest?" Esther said harshly, her icy glare currently shooting daggers at Caroline.

"I did hear about it," Caroline said tensely, suddenly anxious as to why Esther was there.

"And yet you still choose to be insensitive? Obviously I taught my son how to choose fine company," she said, her demeanor quickly turning darker.

Caroline let out a sigh, not in the mood to deal with Esther right then. She had had one hell of a weekend and so was Klaus and he did not need to deal with his mother's harsh judgment right this very moment. That is what she would say to defend herself for what came out of her mouth next.

"I'm surprised to hear you say you taught your son anything at all since it seems you never took an interest in him before," Caroline said, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Beg your pardon?" Esther asked with a mask of shock, coloring instantly rising to her face.

"I'm sorry that was insensitive of me," Caroline said bitingly. "Listen, I don't know why you came but I'm begging you for once, just for once, let him do the talking. I know he messed up but he doesn't need to be judged right now."

"What I do with my son is none of your concern. You may feel like you have certain freedoms because of what you do behind closed doors with him but just remember that you are nothing, just another chapter in his life that he will move on from but I am his mother and family is above all else," Esther seethed.

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe I am just another chapter but at least I can walk out of his life knowing I was there for him; that I stood by his side and helped him when he needed me the most. Can you say the same thing? If family is above all else than prove that now. Be there for him now," Caroline said, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to surface.

"Who do you think you are?" Esther asked, her hate radiating toward Caroline.

"I'm the person who's been there for your son when you've been too busy with your own selfish needs to worry about him. I've been there and seen him try to put the pieces of his life together, put himself together after you and your husband broke him," she said angrily through tears. She knew she was stepping out of line but at the moment she was too angry to care.

She was not surprised when she felt Esther slap her across the face but instead of backing down, Caroline felt more fueled.

"Where do you come off judging me and my former husband?" Esther yelled angrily.

"You broke him and you stood by and watched your husband do the same. You keep breaking him when all you do is tell him time after time that nothing he does is ever good enough, that nothing he does will ever be good enough," she said through thick and angry tears, feeling the burning on her cheek from where Esther had slapped her. "I may be out of line but I will not apologize for defending Klaus. Somebody has to."

She turned as she heard footsteps quickly approaching them and was mortified to see Rebekah walking toward them. Judging by the look on her face, Rebekah had heard everything she had said. She turned and was surprised to see Esther standing there completely speechless, looking like somebody had slapped her. Caroline decided it was time to make her exit and quickly walked off toward the shuttle, trying to steady her breathing after what had just occurred. She could not believe she had actually said those things to Klaus' mother but something in her had switched into protective mode when she saw his mother. She groaned inwardly as she had time to process what she had just done. Klaus would not be pleased that much she knew.

When she finally reached her house, she burst through the door calling out Kitty's name and frowning when she realized she wasn't alone.

"We have some company," Kitty said as she came out of the living room.

Caroline felt flustered as she saw Matt come out from the living room at that moment and take in her appearance.

"Caroline," he greeted as he came forward and gave her a small hug.

"Care who is this tall and handsome stranger you've been hiding from us?" Katherine said coming out from behind them and smirking as she saw Caroline standing in the same outfit as before.

Caroline cringed as she saw Katherine mouth "He's hot!" from behind Matt.

"Excuse me, I really should change," Caroline said turning around quickly.

She was in the middle of zipping up a pair of jeans when the door to her room opened.

"Katherine! Door! Knock!" she said loudly.

"Where the hell were you?" Katherine asked suspiciously as she came and sat on her bed. "And why didn't you mention this new hottie sitting on your couch? Is he the reason you won't hook up with Klaus?"

Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes, looking for a top to put on.

"Matt is David's cousin. We just met so there's not really much to tell," she said simply as she straightened out her top and went outside to properly greet everyone.

David gave her a curious look when she walked in but didn't say anything as he saw Katherine come in behind her.

"Care can you help me get the dip?" Kitty called from the kitchen.

"I'll be right back," Caroline said awkwardly as she quickly walked into the kitchen.

"How's Klaus?" Kitty whispered as soon as Caroline went into the kitchen.

Caroline shook her head, not sure where to start.

"He's being typical hard-ass Klaus and not wanting to say much. He caught Tatia cheating on him," she said feeling the anger course through her again. "Oh and top of that, I may have gone off on his mother outside of his apartment building and I'm pretty sure Rebekah heard the whole thing.

She heard Kitty let out a shocked gasp.

"Did David tell you anything?" Caroline asked quickly, not wanting to talk about Tatia or Klaus' mother at the moment. She sifted through the kitchen cabinets trying to find the dip. Kitty was opening her mouth to answer when she stopped as she heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen.

"Your _other _lover boy is here. What the hell happened to him?" Katherine asked curiously.

"Klaus is here?" she asked suddenly feeling tense. He was early.

"He is and don't even think for one second you are leaving this house without telling me what is going on," Katherine said seriously.

Caroline groaned.

"Not now Katherine please," she pleaded tensely.

"Fine but later you and I are having a serious talk," Katherine said as she moved closer to the counter. "And by the way, judging by the reaction Klaus had when he saw your boy Matt, I would say he's all too willing to jump your bones too. Remember my words from last night." She added with a smirk as she took a seat on the counter.

Caroline felt the color rush to her cheeks at Katherine's words.

_Great, Klaus, Matt, and Katherine all together…what could possibly go wrong?_

**Thanks for reading and congratulations you made it! Sorry I know this chapter was longer than usual but don't worry, this will not be a regular occurrence I promise! I also apologize I know we didn't really get the full story on what happened with Klaus but next chapter we will as we get to see his POV. This chapter was already way too long and I wanted to explain what happened without rushing it so next chapter we will learn more. It's actually a mixture of both of their POV's next chapter so be ready for that :) I already started making edits for that chapter & honestly I'm pretty excited about it, I had a lot of fun writing it, you guys will see why so I'll try to put that up as soon as I can :) Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you guys think! I love reading your thoughts & reactions! :) **


	8. Chapter 8-Everything Changes

**Seriously you guys are awesome! Thanks so much to 4everKlaroline, MsCindz, shiwiii, Mystery Girl3, Jackiezn, Nati 1729, Ji55, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, MrsLeaMorgan, Guest, Marina, & Guest for your reviews & to everyone who followed & faved! It really does encourage me to keep posting new chapters so thank you so much for taking the time to give me some feedback & follow my story :) 4everKlaroline, we will see more of Caroline's health issue especially in the upcoming chapters so keep an eye out for that. That's a main focus of the story so fair warning, expect things to get more complicated with that situation. I was very happy with the positive feedback I received on Klaus'/Caroline's relationship for the last chapter & I'm so glad that you guys didn't mind the longer chapter because ummm this chapter is a long one too *eek!* I've checked the next ones & they're not as long so for those of you who don't like very long chapters, don't worry! I made several edits before finally getting it down to this so without further ado, here's the next chapter and as always, please forgive any errors I didn't catch. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

"**_When it's just me and you_  
**_**Who knows what we could do  
If we can just make it through  
The toughest part of the day..."**_

* * *

Caroline let out a long sigh, trying to organize all her thoughts. She was a little worried that Klaus had shown up earlier than she expected. Had his mother or Rebekah said anything to him? Caroline looked over at Kitty who was looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"Guess you should go out there," Kitty said with a tentative smile and pointed look.

"Scared to see both of your suitors in the same room?" Katherine asked with a grin.

"Klaus isn't a suitor and why are you so sure that Matt is?" Caroline asked her with an arched eyebrow as she prepared the dip.

"Maybe because you were the first person he asked about, oh and because David told everyone that Matt was bummed he missed the auction because he was going to bid on you," Katherine said with a triumphant grin, eyeing Caroline who was conveniently focused on cutting up the spinach but she could see color rise to her cheeks.

"He is hot Care but then again so is Klaus…ahh decisions, decisions," she added with a smirk.

"Be nice Katherine, they have a lot on their plates right now," Kitty warned.

"Yeah I can see that. Caroline's being shady about where she spent the night and Klaus looks like he was paid a visit by the Russian mafia," Katherine said with a pointed look at Caroline.

Caroline sighed and picked up the dip and walked out to the living room without saying anything. She felt more tense as she heard Katherine right behind her. She hoped internally that Katherine wouldn't do anything that would embarrass her in front of Klaus or Matt but she knew she was probably hoping in vain. This was Katherine after all.

She walked into the living room and saw Matt discussing something with Klaus and judging by Klaus' expression, he did not like whatever Matt was telling him. She knew this probably had something to do with his case and this thought only made her more nervous.

Klaus looked over at her as she came into the room, making eye contact with her and a small smile crossed his face, which she returned. She saw Matt look over at what had caught Klaus' attention and smiled too when he saw her. She smiled back at him but suddenly felt awkward. She quickly put the dip down and glanced at Katherine, not surprised to see a very amused look on her face but thankfully, she was keeping her thoughts to herself.

She could feel both Matt's and Klaus' gaze on her and she felt incredibly self-conscious so she turned to David who was sitting occupied with his phone.

"I brought some dip," she said a little awkwardly. Why did she feel so awkward?

David looked up from his phone and smiled at her.

"That looks really good thanks Care," he said as he got up to grab some chips and dip. "By the way, the auction was a huge hit. You should become my marketing partner," he said jokingly.

"Caroline's always had a knack for planning events like that," Katherine added with a smile. "You should've seen the dances she planned in high school and she was the social chair for our sorority in college-"

Caroline laughed a little embarrassed by all of this.

"Thanks Kat but I don't think he was being serious," she said with a small and awkward laugh.

"Keep talking and I might just be," David answered Katherine with a laugh.

"Well you'll have to get in line, that fancy magazine she works at is really eyeing her," Katherine said with a grin and wink. "It seems many are liking what they see when they look at Caroline," she added with a pointed look.

Caroline shot her a quick glare before turning back to David with another awkward laugh.

"I didn't know you worked at a magazine," Matt said a little surprised as he walked closer to her and conveniently reached over her to get some chips and dip. This did not go unnoticed by Klaus who clenched his teeth in annoyance.

"It's not really a job, I'm technically an intern," Caroline answered sheepishly.

"Caroline has always been modest about her job. They don't just consider her an intern at the magazine, they really value her opinion and picked up her designs for the Fall & Spring fashion shoots," Klaus said from behind Matt, looking at her with what seemed to be a sense of pride.

"Seems like there's a lot I have to learn about you," he said with a smile that made her feel even more embarrassed.

"No not really, you'd be bored within minutes I'm sure," she said with a small laugh that disappeared as she caught Klaus' eye. He was frowning at her, which confused her.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Matt asked her with a laugh, bringing her attention back to him.

"Because it's a load of crap right Klaus?" Katherine said turning to him with a smirk.

"Agreed," Klaus answered somewhat tensely, keeping his eyes on Caroline the entire time.

"I would believe whatever Klaus has to say about Caroline. He knows her like the back of his hand," Katherine added with a triumphant smirk.

Caroline didn't have a chance to respond because Kitty walked in right then.

"The food should be ready in about an hour," she announced to the room before turning to look at Klaus and giving him a warm smile that almost seemed a little sad as she took in his appearance. "You'll be joining us won't you Klaus?"

Caroline looked over at him and saw him looking at her with a hesitant expression.

"There's something we actually need to do. He just came to pick me up," Caroline quickly explained to her.

Kitty looked at her and nodded but David quickly piped up.

"You guys are going to miss Matt and I in action in the kitchen," David said as he looked over at Matt.

"You guys are cooking something?" Caroline asked surprised as she looked between the two of them.

"Our grandmother used to make the best chili in town and let's just say David and I picked up a thing or two," Matt said with a bright smile.

"Kitty could use with the moral support as we completely destroy your kitchen with all the mess we're going to make," David joked as Kitty shook her head and laughed.

"Can't be worst than Klaus nearly burning it down trying to make French toast," Kitty teased with a small laugh.

"Klaus was making breakfast? For who?" Katherine asked looking directly at Caroline with the biggest smirk she had ever seen.

"It wasn't my brightest idea," Klaus said hastily before turning to look at Caroline. "It's up to you love, I'm entirely at your disposal today it seems."

Caroline did not miss the way Matt arched an eyebrow when he heard Klaus call her love.

"Come on Caroline, what do you say?" Matt asked turning to look her straight in the eyes with the brightest smile she had ever seen. It made her want to groan inwardly, how could she say no to that?

"We could stay for a little bit I suppose," she said a little sheepishly.

He responded with such a blinding smile it made her look away feeling flustered. She looked over at Klaus who was looking at her and Matt with a hard expression.

"Well let's get started then," David said with a smile. "Care to join us?" he asked looking at her.

"I'll be in there in a little bit," she said with a small smile, glancing over at Klaus again who had sat down on the couch and was looking straight ahead.

"Don't take too long, your kitchen counts on it," Matt said with a laugh as he followed David and Kitty out of the living room.

Katherine looked over at Klaus before turning to look at her, a curious expression on her face.

"I should go see this disaster unfold," Katherine said as she stood up. "Care, meet me before you go?"

"I'll see you in there," she responded nodding her head.

Katherine took one last look at Klaus before walking out of the room leaving her and Klaus alone. Caroline walked over to sit on the coffee table in front of him.

"I'm sorry I didn't know they would be here," she said looking at him. "We can go right now if you're not comfortable-"

"It's quite alright love. It's good that you spend more time with Kitty," he said, finally looking at her, his expression softening. "I can go-"

"No," she said quickly causing him to raise his eyebrows, and she could see a hint of a smile appear on his face. "We're going, I really want us to go," she finished a little sheepishly.

"And where exactly are we going?" he asked with a grin.

"Nice try but I'm not telling you. You're just going to have to wait and see," she said with a playful smile.

"So I'm not allowed to surprise you but you can surprise me?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You do it anyway with my approval or not," she countered with a laugh.

He laughed a little at this and conceded she had a point before letting out a sigh and looking down.

"What did Matt tell you?" she asked tentatively.

"More complications," he said tensely, his jaw setting in frustration.

"Klaus-" she started.

"I'll tell you everything love, just not here," he said looking up at her.

She felt her heart break a little by the defeated look in his eyes and she nodded her head slowly.

"You were here early," she said a little tentatively, wondering what had happened with his mother and Rebekah.

"I needed an excuse to get away from Stefan's endless questioning," he said tensely. "Figured I might as well head here."

"Oh," she said a little surprised and confused. Had he not seen his mother and Rebekah?

"What?" Klaus asked curiously, noting her expression.

"Nothing…it's just...well I sensed the tension between you two, I thought something else was going on," she lied quickly, not wanting to tell him the truth about the conversation she had with his mother just yet.

"It's nothing sweetheart, we can discuss it at a later time," he said with what sounded like bitterness underlying his tone.

She looked at him with an arched eyebrow but nodded slowly, making a mental note to bring it up again later.

"Thanks for not bailing on me," she said with a small smile. "I know with everything going on, you would just rather stay inside with a bottle of the strongest bottle of liquor you could get your hands on, shut the world out and let time pass you by."

"Are we still talking about me?" he asked her in a low voice, looking at her seriously.

She let out a sigh and tried to laugh but he could tell it was forced.

"What happened at the appointment Caroline?" he asked tentatively, scared to hear the answer. "I'm sorry I didn't ask sooner-"

"I think you have a more than a good reason," she said with a hard laugh before she looked down at her hands and fidgeted with them the way she always did when she was anxious or nervous. He gently placed his uninjured hand on top of hers, getting her to meet his gaze. He felt his chest tighten as he saw the prominent fear and ache in her eyes.

"Let's not talk about that now," she said with a sad smile.

He looked at her apprehensively. He really wanted to know what was going on with her and this whole situation.

"Later," he said seriously, letting her know he would not be forgetting about this conversation.

She nodded her head slowly and surprised him when she reached out slowly and gently laid her hand against his bruised cheek. He sucked in his breath as he felt her lightly caress that part of his face before she allowed her fingers to hover over the cut above his eye and scratches on his face. He studied her face as she did this and he felt his heart ache. He could see the worry and sadness there and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. He couldn't bear to see her like this. Nobody had ever looked at him with this amount of concern over his well-being.

He caught her hand as it was working its way down to his neck and held it tightly with his own as he slowly brought down his lips to meet her hand entwined with his. He closed his eyes, finding comfort in the feel of her hand in his and again sucked in a breath in surprise when he felt her move closer and circle her other hand around his neck and pull him closer to her. He allowed his head to rest on the crook of her neck all the while keeping his hold on her hand. He felt a range of emotions surge through him like he had not experienced before as he felt her fingers gently running through his hair. He felt comforted like he had never felt and would probably never feel again with anyone else again. Only Caroline had this effect on him probably because she was the only one who cared about him this way.

He was relishing in the feel of her fingers running through his hair when he suddenly felt her stop and that's when he heard the footsteps that he had failed to hear before.

"Sorry," he heard Kitty say as he slowly picked his head up, looking away from both of them, feeling ashamed that he was appearing so weak in front of them.

"What's up?" Caroline asked in a little bit of a hitched pitched voice, looking over at Kitty, her face a little pink.

"Nothing…David and Matt were just wondering where you had gotten to," Kitty answered sheepishly.

"I'll be right there," Caroline answered.

"Take your time," Kitty said with a small smile as she awkwardly turned and walked back toward the kitchen.

Caroline turned back to look at Klaus who was looking straight ahead, an empty expression on his face.

"You go ahead sweetheart, I'll be here," he said in a voice that was painstakingly empty.

She brought her hand down over his hand that was still holding hers.

"We're gonna be okay," she said in a small voice before she moved in closer to lightly kiss his cheek, careful not to touch any of his injuries.

He almost let out a sigh of disappointment when she rose from where she was sitting in front of him, gently taking her hand out of his. He missed the feel of her as soon as she removed her hand from his hold.

"I won't be long," she said with a small smile as she walked out of the living room, leaving him with a knot in his throat.

"I'll wait as long as it takes," he said to the empty room in a voice that was barely a whisper.

* * *

Caroline stopped in the hallway a little ways down from the kitchen, taking in a deep breath with closed eyes as she tried to compose herself. She hated knowing that Klaus was in so much pain and all she wished at that moment was that she was strong enough to carry both of their burdens. Her heart had been aching the entire time she had been holding him and it had taken just about everything inside of her not to start crying in front of him. As she cursed those traitorous tears that were surfacing again, she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. She quickly wiped the tears away and opened her eyes to see Matt coming toward her, the concern evident on his face as he looked at her.

"Is everything ok?" he asked as he stopped in front of her.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she answered with the best smile she could force at the moment.

He looked at her unconvinced.

"David told me that Klaus is a good friend of yours. I know that everything that happened must not be easy for you," he said in a gentle voice as he stepped a little closer to her.

She gave him a sad smile and nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, we've seen better days," she said.

"I'm legally not allowed to talk about anything that's related to his case but I want you to know that we're doing everything to help him. He's going to be okay," he said in that same gentle voice and giving her a small smile.

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile, letting herself be comforted by his words. _Klaus is going to be okay._

"Thanks Matt," she said.

"There's that smile I like to see," he said with a grin, causing her to look away.

She noticed as he shifted uncomfortably in front of her and she looked up at him curiously.

"I hate to ask and I don't want to seem insensitive but…you and Klaus…are you…you know?" he asked awkwardly.

"Are we what?" she asked confused.

"Are you two more than friends?" he asked with that same awkwardness.

She felt herself blush and instinctively shook her head.

"Klaus and I have been friends for a long time. He's my best friend and I really care about him but it's never been that way between us," she said quickly and noticed as he smiled in relief.

"Well I don't know how he manages it," he said a little sheepishly.

"Manages what?" she asked with an arched eyebrow, sincerely hoping that he was not insinuating that she was a crappy friend. As handsome and nice as Matt was, she would probably have to slap that handsome face.

"To be around you for so long and not feel the desire to be so much more than just your friend," he answered, looking at her directly in the eyes.

Caroline looked away feeling completely embarrassed, feeling the color rushing up to her face. If she were being honest, the blush that rose up to her face was not solely because of Matt's words. They were also caused by the vivid memory she had of the night she met Klaus.

"Okay so as you may have noticed, I'm not the most appropriate with my timing and I can be a little too forward sometimes," he started with a small laugh as he saw her look up at him, the pink still visible on her cheeks. "I don't really know you and you don't really know me but I would like to get to know you if you'd give me the chance? We could start as friends and see where it goes from there."

She looked down, feeling a little flustered and not entirely sure what to say. She took in a deep breath as she realized he was probably about to ask her out on a date.

"I thought that since you're such a good dancer and even make me look good on the dance floor, maybe you'd like to come with me to our company party this weekend?" he asked.

She sighed a little awkwardly, not sure how to answer without coming off as cold.

"Matt, you need to know that I was serious when I said I may not be ready for a relationship just yet and I don't do the whole casual fling thing-" she started.

"Caroline I would didn't do you the dishonor of thinking of you as someone who could only warm my bed for the night. Like I told you, I know a good thing when I see it and I'll move at whatever pace you want us to," he answered her honestly.

When she didn't respond right away he quickly added, "I understand if you don't want to, I just thought that this way it wouldn't be so awkward to spend some time together and get to know each other better. Kitty and David will be there too and this way I wouldn't have to spend the night dancing by myself," he finished sheepishly with a small laugh.

"Sure, why not?," she answered with a small smile after a few moments. He was asking for a chance to be friends, there was nothing wrong with that right?

He gave her a blinding smile that almost dazed her and she gave him a small smile, hoping she was doing the right thing and trying her best not to think about her best friend currently sitting in her living room.

"We should probably get back to the kitchen before David thinks I abandoned ship," he said with a smile.

She laughed a little and nodded her head as she followed him into the kitchen, her mind busy replaying the conversation she just had with him.

Neither one could see Klaus standing behind the entryway to the living room, battling the urge to throw something and scream in frustration because of the conversation he had just overheard. In reality, he would love nothing more than to finish breaking his already injured hand on Matt's face right then, for a reason he couldn't really explain much less justify. _She had just agreed to go on a date with Matt. _He had to remind himself it was not a date; Matt had not said anything about it being a date but he knew that's what Matt was aiming for and Caroline had agreed. He stood there silently, letting the anger and hurt seep through him and he almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. It didn't make any sense. He walked in on Tatia in bed with someone else, someone he had trusted, and although he obviously felt the anger, he did not feel the hurt he was feeling now. He shook his head, convincing himself he was slowly losing his mind. He slowly worked his way back to the couch and sat down heavily; trying to push this anger he was feeling aside. He was glad that Caroline had not come back into the room because he was sure he would have said things he would have regretted. He was angry with her even though he knew he had no reason to be.

He felt like he had sat there for hours when in reality it was only less than 20 minutes, when he heard footsteps and saw Caroline come in. He felt conflicting emotions battle within him and he had to fight back a million impulses he had, primarily the urge to ask her to cancel on Matt. He knew he was being ridiculous but a big part of him was hurt and angry by this whole ordeal. Because the law firm that Matt worked at was partnered with his family's company, his entire family and most of the company would be at this party too. Truthfully, he had no desire to go to the party before, even though he had been expected to since he was a Mikaelson, but his brother had also suggested it be better that he stay away from the party and the company for a while after what had happened the night before. Klaus had more than willingly agreed but he had reconsidered the party the instant he heard Caroline say she was going _with Matt._ This thought sent fresh waves of anger coursing through him. _Why did he care so much?_ His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Caroline stretch out her hand with a bright smile.

"Ready to make our great escape?" she asked.

He noticed her frown a little when she saw his tense posture and set jaw.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she walked closer and sat down next to him.

He was half-tempted to cancel on the whole trip but for once, he thought about what he was doing before he acted.

"It's nothing love," he answered her after a moment. "You ready?"

She looked at him unconvinced but took his outstretched hand, following him quietly out the front door. As they made their way to his car, Klaus smiled internally at the thought that maybe Matt would be her date this weekend but he had her today and if he had his way, _which he would, _it would not just be Matt and her at that party either. He was smirking at these thoughts when he noticed she was looking at him with an arched eyebrow.

"What's funny?" she asked with a curious smile.

"Nothing," he said quickly, feeling his mood improving quickly as he hatched out his new plan in his head. He stopped when he noticed she had walked over to the driver's side and was holding her hand out to him.

"Keys," she said firmly. "You don't know where we're going so I need to drive," she explained when she noticed his expression.

"That could be solved if you simply tell me where we're going," he answered, not making any movement to get the keys out of his pocket.

"Nope, it's a surprise so hand them over otherwise we're taking the bus," she said in that firm voice.

He scoffed as he fished out his car keys for her.

"I'll throw this all in your face next time you're protesting one of my surprises for you," he said with a smirk as he handed her the keys.

"Who says there's going to be a next time?" she asked incredulously.

"I do and after today, you don't get to complain," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes but gave him a bright smile that made his heart quicken its pace. He got in the passenger seat a little reluctantly but as he saw her flash him another smile as she began driving, he felt himself relax a little. He trusted her; she was one of the only people he could say that about. He rested his head against the window and let his mind drift as a peaceful silence overtook them.

* * *

"Morning sleepyhead," Caroline said with a small laugh when she saw Klaus slowly open his eyes next to her.

He looked out the window and realized the sky had gotten significantly darker as the new dark and heavy clouds had moved in. It was definitely going to rain. He took a glance at the clock on the dashboard and realized they had been on the road for a little over two hours and he didn't remember most of it.

"I'm sorry love I didn't intend on falling asleep," he said as he realized he had fallen asleep not too long after they hit the road.

"It's okay, I'm glad you got some rest. Plus, I like looking at you sleep," she admitted with a small laugh, color rising to her cheeks as she saw him turn to look at her with raised eyebrows. "You look so peaceful," she explained with an embarrassed laugh.

He shook his head with a small laugh and looked out the window and raised his eyebrows again as he turned back to her, only to see a smile creep to her face. He recognized the bridge that was up ahead around the curve.

"Where are we going?" he asked, some excitement creeping into his voice as he recognized the area.

She looked at him with that smile that made his heart want to skip a beat.

"I thought you would've recognized the place by now," she teased.

"How could I forget it sweetheart?" he said, thinking back to the first time they had come here. It was supposed to be a trip to celebrate the gang's high school graduation and by some happy series of unfortunate planning that had worked out in Klaus' favor, this day had ended with Caroline and him finally calling a truce. That was the day she finally gave him a second chance, on that very bridge. It was the same bridge that they had come back to a few times after that day but they had not been here in a few years.

As they drove around the curve, he could see the people up ahead and he felt himself really smiling for the first time in days. He looked over at her to see she had the same smile on her face as she pulled off to the side where other people had parked their cars. Caroline gave an excited laugh when they saw a young man jump off the side.

"I'm so glad you guys are actually out here. I was kind of worried you guys wouldn't be because of the weather," Caroline said to the man who was bundling some elastic ropes together. "We drove from kind of far away just to do this," she explained.

"It's been cold but no rain yet so we're still here. It looks like it might come down soon though," the man said to them.

"Can we still do it?" she asked a little anxiously.

"If you don't mind the cold water than be our guests," the man answered as he handed them some elastic ropes.

Klaus noticed as she turned to look at him with a slight frown.

"What is it love?" he asked curiously.

"I guess I didn't really think this through. It was the first place that popped into my head this morning and I didn't even stop to think that maybe you shouldn't be doing this because of your injuries," she answered with that same frown.

He scoffed and shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"Sweetheart it's a couple of bruises and some scratches. I think I'll be fine," he told her seriously. "It was a great idea Caroline, it's exactly what I needed," he added with albeit small but genuine smile.

She breathed in and nodded her head, returning his smile.

"Remember the first time we did this?" she asked excitedly as they walked over to be harnessed in.

He couldn't help himself and laughed at the memory.

"You were scared but did it because you didn't want to back out in front of everyone," he answered with a dimpled grin.

"I was not scared! I was mad, there's a huge difference!" she said with a playful shove.

"Of course not love, that's why you agreed to have me do it with you when before that you refused to even breathe in the same air as me," he answered with a smirk.

She shook her head and laughed, not wanting to admit out loud that she had indeed been scared the first time she did this...

"_Remind me why she's here again?" an annoyed Elena hissed to the group of them._

"_Because sweet Stefan invited her," Katherine responded with a smirk, clearly amused by her sister's annoyance. "If you liked him you should have made a move sis."_

_Elena rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance._

"_You know I only see Stefan as a friend and that's not what bothers me. She hates us and we don't exactly like her so why do we have to put up with her hissy fits? This was supposed to be __**our **__graduation trip but instead it's turned out to be all about her," she exclaimed. "We should have been on the road hours ago but her royal highness wasn't ready in time and of course she had to invite her brothers so we were all forced to bring another car and now this happened."_

"_I don't care that she's here but why did her brothers have to come?" Caroline asked, her voice stiff with annoyance as she eyed Klaus who was standing off to the side of the car that had broken down. This guy had been relentless in trying to talk to her and it felt like he had been everywhere the past few weeks._

_She rolled her eyes when she saw him turn to look at her and smirked when he caught her looking at him. She huffed in annoyance and turned back to her friends._

"_Well it's obvious that we're not going to be going anywhere anytime soon and I refuse to spend the next hour of my life waiting on the side of the road with certain individuals," she said to them._

"_And where do you propose we go?" Bonnie asked with an arched eyebrow._

"_There," Caroline answered, looking at the people who were standing on the bridge that was some ways down the road from where they were._

"_You mean over there with those people who are bungee jumping?" Katherine asked with a laugh. "Care have you ever been bungee jumping?"_

"_It doesn't matter. There's a first time for everything and I refuse to spend my graduation trip on the side of the road," she answered firmly. "Are you guys coming?"_

_They all looked at her with incredulous expressions and she huffed in annoyance. She knew they wouldn't believe she would go through with it until they saw her do it. She turned on her heel and started walking in the direction of the small crowd. She walked right past the group of guys who were looking at her curiously, Klaus included._

"_Mind telling us where the hell you're going Barbie?" she heard Damon, Stefan's older brother, ask from behind her._

"_To try and enjoy this failed trip," she answered over her shoulder._

"_Caroline where are you going? We already called the tow truck," Stefan called out from behind her. _

_She heard footsteps quickly catching up to her and turned expecting to see Stefan or one of her friends but groaned when she saw Klaus instead. She wanted nothing more than to smack that infuriating smirk off his face._

"_Go away," she snapped, looking back at the road ahead of her._

"_It's not safe for you to be walking on the side of the road by yourself," he answered with a hint of amusement, clearly unfazed by her comment and behavior._

"_But it's safe as long as I'm walking with you?" she asked sarcastically._

"_Perhaps," he answered with an innocent shrug._

"_Oh my hero," she answered in that same sarcastic tone. "Thanks but I'll take my chances, " she added, rolling her eyes when she heard him chuckle._

"_Seriously, take a hint. I don't want to be around you," she told him, voice stiff with annoyance._

"_Oh come on Caroline. I've apologized for what happened at the party. It was months ago, tell me how can I acquit myself?" he asked, for once seeming serious._

"_You can start by leaving me alone," she answered, finally turning to look at him. _

_She did not miss the expression that crossed his face and it genuinely surprised her. It was almost like he really cared. She quickly shook that thought out of her mind; she would not fall for his tricks again. Fool her once shame on him but fool her twice…_

"_Take a chance Caroline. Talk to me," he told her seriously._

_She scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking away again._

"_Come on get to know me. I dare you," he said with a dimpled grin, as he looked at her._

_She gave an incredulous laugh and turned to look at him ._

"_You do know that I'm too smart to be seduced by you?" she asked with an arched eyebrow._

"_I know. That's why I like you," he answered her with that same dimpled grin._

_She shook her head with another incredulous laugh and kept walking. He was easily keeping up with her pace and she was happy that for once he was being silent. As they got closer to the bridge, she suddenly started to question her decision to go through with it. She honestly considered turning back but knew she couldn't turn back now. She could already hear Damon and Katherine's taunts. She turned to look at her companion again, now wishing he would talk to distract her._

"_So why did you guys come? Don't you cool college boys have something better to do?" she asked bitingly._

"_Somebody had to come keep Rebekah company," he shrugged innocently._

"_I'm sure that's what the group is for," she responded with a hint of sarcasm._

"_Let me rephrase that. Somebody who can actually stand Rebekah had to come keep her company," he said with a small smirk._

"_What does that mean?" she asked with an arched eyebrow._

"_We both know you and your little group cannot stand Rebekah. All I've heard is your friend Elena complain about her being here," he answered seriously._

_She stayed quiet for a moment knowing she couldn't argue against him about this. While Rebekah could be very spoiled and snotty, she had no real problem with Rebekah but she knew the other girls weren't her biggest fans._

"_I will admit that your sister can be difficult sometimes, but for what it's worth, I don't really have a problem with her. She can be kind of cool when she's not busy being…" she trailed off, trying to find the right word._

"_When she's not busy being Rebekah?" he asked with a trace of a smirk._

_She laughed at this comment and turned to look at him, noticing his dimpled grin was back._

"_I was going to say bossy or spoiled," she answered and was surprised when she heard him laugh next to her._

"_Try living with her for 18 years," he said with a chuckle._

"_And here I thought you were supposed to be defending her?" she teased._

"_Rebekah doesn't need defending," he shrugged simply._

"_Well I can imagine with so many brothers you pick up a thing or two," she said._

_He laughed a little at this and nodded his head._

"_But you can't blame everything else on us," he joked. "I care about Rebekah but even I can admit that she can be rather difficult."_

"_A family trait I presume?" she asked with an arched eyebrow._

_He looked at her and opened his mouth to answer when he realized she was teasing him. He turned back with a wide smile on his face, happy with this sudden turn of events. He had been royally annoyed when Stefan's car had broken down and they all had to stop and help but it was working out in his favor. This was the longest conversation he had had with Caroline since the night of the party. _

_As they reached the bridge, he noticed how tense she suddenly became. _

"_Have you ever done this before?" he asked her curiously._

"_There's a first time for everything," she answered, eyeing the individuals who were getting ready to jump._

_She turned her head a little to see that the rest of the group was also walking toward them. She almost groaned when she saw them. She didn't really have a choice now. She turned back, mentally talking herself into going through with it. How bad could it be? She had almost forgotten about Klaus being there until he spoke again._

"_Do you want me to accompany you?" he asked her in a surprisingly gentle voice._

_She turned to look at him, fighting her initial instinct to respond with a sarcastic comment. She glanced back at the group and then back at the individuals jumping off the bridge. She was torn because she didn't want to admit that she was scared but she didn't really want to do it by herself either. At that moment, even Klaus seemed like a better option than having to jump by herself._

"_Please Caroline, it would make me feel a hell of a lot better if you let me do this with you. Part of my hero duties and all," he said with a small dimpled smile._

_She looked back at him and rolled her eyes with an amused grin. She knew exactly what he was doing but for once she appreciated it. She hesitated for a few moments more, reminding herself she didn't like this guy._

"_Come on Caroline, I dare you," he repeated his words from earlier, stretching out his hand to her._

_She looked down at his hand and then back up at him with a small smile._

"_Well if it gives you peace of mind…" she answered as she walked past him without taking his hand as he looked at her with an amused smirk and quickly followed after her. After they were strapped in she turned to look back at their group who were eyeing them with surprised and amused looks, before she turned to look back at him._

"_By the way, in case I forget to say it later, thanks for doing this with me," she said softly._

"_You're quite welcome love," he answered with a genuine smile that showed his dimples._

As she stood on that same bridge today, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and smiled as she thought about how important Klaus had become in her life since that day. She looked away a little embarrassed as he glanced over and caught her looking at him.

"Having second thoughts love?" he asked with a small smirk but she could see in his eyes he was being serious.

Once they were securely strapped in, they were cleared to step over the ledge of the bridge and she took his hand and started stepping over.

"Not about this," she said with a smile, keeping a firm hold on his hand.

He noticed her take in a deep breath as she kept her gaze straight ahead in front of her and he knew she was scared but was going through with it anyway, just like she had the other times. The cold air brushed over them, and he saw her close her eyes and take in a deep breath and he was mesmerized by the sight of her like this, the wind blowing through her hair freely. At that moment, he was sure he had never thought she looked more beautiful.

Caroline would not by any means consider herself a daredevil and bungee jumping was not something she had ever considered doing before her high school graduation but unexpected events resulted in her trying it for the first time on this very bridge with the very same person currently holding her hand. She was hesitant at first but could not deny the freedom and exhilaration she felt when she did this. For a few instances, she felt like she could fly and that feeling was more liberating than she could ever explain in words. After what had happened these past few days, she knew she needed this and she knew Klaus needed it too. So she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, letting her cares go for a moment because right then, she was getting ready to take flight.

"Ready love?" he asked quietly next to her.

Without opening her eyes, she nodded her head. "On the count of three," she answered. When she reached three, she released the handle she had been clinging too and jumped, ready to forget everything for just a moment. She welcomed the cool wind rushing against her, through her, feeling as if she was flying before she welcomed the cold water beneath her. It was freezing but she didn't care. At that moment she was free.

* * *

They both ran back to his car, and in Caroline's opinion, they could not have reached it soon enough. She quickly got in, rubbing her arms to feel some warmth and tried not to stare at Klaus as he came around the car. It was hard not to admire the way his dark Henley clung perfectly to his body now that he was wet.

"I didn't think this through at all," she said with an embarrassed laugh as she looked away from him and heard her teeth rattle from the cold. She had her arms wrapped around herself, trying to keep warm but with her wet clothes, it wasn't really helping.

"Here love," Klaus said as he handed her his dry jacket that he had removed before they got out of the car.

She smiled at his gesture but quickly shook her head.

"Thank you but I'm fine. I just need the heater," she answered with a small laugh.

He looked at her with an arched eyebrow still holding out the jacket to her.

"I've been at your disposal the entire day and haven't argued. Please just do this small thing for me," he said.

She looked at him and scoffed with an amused look.

"You haven't argued?" she repeated with an arched eyebrow and amused smile. "I think you need to look up the word because I don't think it means what you think it means."

He smirked at her and ignored her protests as he leaned over to place the jacket around her shoulders. She tried to playfully shove him away but he was stronger and stubborn and proceeded to place the jacket over her wet sweater, laughing at her feeble attempts to stop him. She turned quickly toward him once he succeeded and sucked in a breath as she became aware of the extremely close proximity of their faces. Caroline could feel his warm breath and could see every fine detail of his cuts and bruises and could feel his arm wrapped around her, resting on her shoulder. She noticed he had stopped laughing, seemingly holding his breath too, as his eyes bore into hers and she felt like she was being sucked in, like a magnetic pull she was being drawn in closer.

And just like that, the pull was broken as he suddenly looked away and cleared his throat as he pulled back and readjusted himself in his seat. Caroline released the breath she had been holding and awkwardly cleared her throat too as she looked down, pretending to be readjusting her shoes, fighting the blush that was threatening to appear. _What just happened?_ She kept pretending to readjust her shoes and bottom of her jeans as she heard him start the car and start driving. She quickly looked up when she felt him turn in the opposite direction of home.

"Where are you going?" she asked curiously.

"We need to get you some dry clothes and the town is not too far ahead," he said simply as he kept his eyes on the road.

"We really don't have to go all the way to town, I'll be fine," she answered.

"Please humor me Caroline," he responded simply, still not looking at her.

She frowned at him, not liking how distant he was suddenly being.

"You okay?" she asked a little tentatively.

"I'm fine, just don't want you to get sick is all," he answered.

She nodded her head, starting to get annoyed with his sudden attitude change but decided not to push it for now. She rested her head against the window and hugged his jacket against her a little tighter.

"Thanks for the jacket," she said softly.

"You're welcome sweetheart," he answered after a moment.

She didn't turn to look at him but simply kept resting her head, breathing in his intoxicating scent on his jacket and trying not to really look into what had just happened moments ago.

When they finally pulled into the small town she noticed he parked in front of the café that they always visited when they came. They could hear the loud thunder warning the town that the storm was on their doorstep. Caroline turned to look at Klaus a little anxiously. They had a long trip back and she did not feel comfortable driving back if the storm was bad and judging by the clouds, that's exactly what they were promising.

"Klaus maybe we really should head back. I'm honestly not cold anymore," she said seriously.

"Caroline we're already here besides I'm not going to let you ride in wet clothes for a few hours," he reasoned.

"But the storm-" she started.

"If it gets bad we could always wait it out sweetheart," he answered her simply, giving her one last look before proceeding to get out of the car.

She sighed a little in annoyance before getting out of the car too. As she approached him she started to remove his jacket to give it back to him but he quickly put his hands over hers to stop her. She turned to look at him but noticed he was looking at a small boutique across the street.

"Come on love," was all he said as he began guiding her toward the store. She was very aware of his hands over hers as he led her across the street but she was also very aware of the fact that he was not looking at her, something that was bothering her.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked looking up at him.

He finally turned to look at her and Caroline saw him hesitate for a moment before he answered.

"Why do you ask?" he asked a little tensely.

"I don't know, you've just seemed off ever since we…got back in your car," she finished sheepishly at the memory of how close they had been. Why did it matter? She and Klaus had been close like that plenty of times. _Why was this any different?_ She didn't know why but somehow she knew it was.

"Just have a lot on my mind sweetheart," he answered after a moment, removing his hands from over hers as well.

Several minutes later, Caroline was finally dressed in some warm and _dry _clothes so she was finally able to give Klaus his jacket back although if she were honest, she missed the smell of his scent. There was something about it that was very alluring to her.

The rain had started to come down while they were in the store and by the time they made it back out, it was coming down hard.

"It's probably better if we try to wait it out," Caroline said as she looked at the falling rain that seemed endless.

"We should probably get something to eat while we wait. It doesn't look like this rain will be letting up anytime soon," he said with a soft sigh.

She nodded her head a little guiltily, feeling like they were stuck there because of her. Maybe he was getting annoyed with her lack of planning and that's why he started acting off? She didn't have time to dwell on this thought before she was following across the street to the café and as soon as they walked in, Caroline welcomed the warmth and the smell of the fresh coffee brewing. As she looked around, she realized she had missed this little coffee shop. She always came here with Klaus whenever they visited the small town. In a way it was their own little spot and she really liked that.

After they placed their order, they sat down waiting in an awkward silence. Caroline noticed that Klaus was tense and she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. She was burning to ask him about what happened but wasn't sure how to approach the subject at the moment when he visibly tense and acting off. So she sat there quietly, fighting back the urge to blurt out the question. She was very thankful when they received their drinks so that she could have something to distract her. After a while of sitting in silence, she was about to just give in and ask him when he finally spoke.

"What's on your mind love?" he asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Honestly I'm wondering about you and what happened last night," she answered in a low and soft voice, meeting his gaze.

She instantly noticed how his posture tensed even more and the anger that flashed across his eyes before he looked away from her and she wondered if it had been a good idea asking him right then. After a few moments had passed, he finally looked back to her and she could see the hurt and anger in his eyes.

"I actually felt bad about forgetting about Tatia on a day when you're supposed to be thinking about your significant other and I thought the only reason she had not contacted me was because she was angry. But as it turns out, she had forgotten about me too. Turns out, she was quite busy with another man all at my expense of course. The entire weekend was a little getaway for them and I was foolish enough to believe she was going up there with friends. I guess I should have suspected something when she said mentioned the word 'friends'. Tatia doesn't have friends, only people she can manipulate. I guess I was one of those too," he said in a voice laced with bitterness and anger.

Caroline sat there silently and tried to control the irritation she was starting to feel toward Tatia and not interrupt him.

"I walked in and caught her in bed with another man but it was just not any other man of course. It had to be somebody I had naively trusted when all this time he was laughing behind my back," he said quietly but Caroline could hear the anger seeping through his voice and could see it in his eyes. She had not seen him this angry before and it frightened her a little.

"Who was it?" she asked hesitantly after a moment.

"My so-called friend Marcel," he finally answered, his name sounding like a curse as it came out of his mouth. "Pretty cliché isn't it?"

Caroline felt herself freeze at Klaus' admission. Marcel had been one of Klaus' first friends after he had moved from London. They had gone to business school together and Klaus had gotten Marcel's foot through the door by bringing him into the company; he was the one who was responsible for Marcel's success in the business world.

To say she was angry was the biggest understatement of the year and she suddenly understood why Klaus had reacted the way he did. She shuddered at the thought of someone so close to her betraying her that way. She took in a big breath to calm herself and tried to collect all the thoughts that were running through her head. She didn't even realize her hands were shaking until she felt Klaus reach out and place his uninjured hand over hers.

"Are you alright love?" he asked a little tensely.

She almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Here he was checking on how _she_ was doing.

"I'm fine," she said a little breathlessly, still processing everything. "I don't even know what to say. Klaus I'm so-"

"Please don't," he quickly interrupted, becoming tense again. "There's nothing to be sorry for. They're not sorry for what they did and I'm not entirely sorry for how I reacted," he finished, his voice quiet but there was something menacing about it.

She sighed and shook her head almost angrily.

"It's not fair that they did that to you. How could Marcel-" she started.

"I would much rather not talk about this or them. I told you because you needed to know but I have no desire to talk about two people that are dead to me," he said darkly.

She knew he was shutting himself off again because he was beginning to feel vulnerable. Tatia and Marcel had hurt him deeply and it both saddened and angered her that they could both be so selfish. _Especially Marcel._

"What's going to happen now with the company?" she asked tentatively. Marcel was a main partner of their company and she imagined that this whole situation would somehow affect more than just the three of them.

He let out an angry sigh that almost sounded like a growl.

"That's another complication," he said through gritted teeth.

"Was this one of the complications you were to talking with Matt about?" she asked tensely.

He ground his teeth in annoyance at the mention of Matt. He was sure that Matt was a good guy but the thought of him dating Caroline annoyed him more than he cared to admit.

"Since Marcel is our business partner and owns 1/3 of the stocks, things are a bit complicated. Let's just say my brothers are less than pleased with me and I can't wait to hear what my mother has to say about all of this," he answered with a dark expression.

Caroline looked away at the mention of his mother and decided to focus on something else he had said instead.

"They're not pleased with you?" she asked incredulously with a hint of anger in her voice. She understood how this could be a complicated situation for their business but they were family first and foremost.

"They claim I could have handled it better and they're probably right but at the moment it was all I could do not to kill him. Had the police not shown up when they did…" he trailed off, getting lost in the memory.

He could still hear Tatia's piercing cries and feel her nails digging into him, breaking through his skin, trying to get him off of Marcel but he was too angry to really be fazed by the pain. After he had realized who she was in bed with, he had stormed into the bedroom and angrily grabbed Tatia by the arm and pulled her back. He would never forget the look on both of their faces when they saw him, and had he not been so enraged, he might have actually found it quite comical.

"_What the-" Marcel sputtered from where he laid on the bed as he suddenly saw Tatia being pulled back._

"_Klaus…" Tatia nearly choked out when she managed to turn back and see who had grabbed her arm._

"_Hello mate," Klaus hissed as he turned back to Marcel who was pathetically scrambling off the bed to put some clothes on. "When you said you'd handle my affairs for me I didn't think this is what you meant," he said sarcastically, his voice laced with rage and venom._

"_Klaus I can explain-" Tatia started, as she started walking toward him with an outstretched hand._

_He angrily turned to look at her, hate radiating towards her from his very core, stopping her dead in her tracks._

"_Don't bother, I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened here. I don't really need to hear all the gory details," he seethed, feeling like his temple might explode from how it was throbbing. "But with Marcel? You could've at least been more original don't you think?"_

"_It's not what it seems," she insisted through tears he could only assume were fake. This only made his blood boil even more._

"_What the hell are you doing here Klaus?" Marcel finally asked from the side of the room, and much to Klaus' fury, he could hear the anger in Marcel's voice. _

_Klaus didn't answer him, feeling like this was his breaking point and so he lunged at Marcel, knocking him down to the ground and angrily punching every inch of his face that he could reach, expressing all of his hurt, rage and betrayal with every hit. He could hear Tatia's loud cries from behind him and feel her nails digging into his shoulder and back of his neck soon after but he did not stop his attacks, if anything he felt more fueled. He was angry and needed to release that anger on something, __**someone**__, consequences be damned._

Marcel fought back naturally, but somehow Klaus' rage seemed to make him that much stronger and kept the pain of Marcel's hits and Tatia's scratches from ever really fazing him. He could only focus on his rage and how much he wanted to hurt Marcel for betraying him this way. As Klaus sat there thinking about this, it hit him how he had been so enraged by Marcel's betrayal more than by Tatia's. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt Caroline's warm hand squeeze his gently.

"It's not fair for your brothers to judge you so quickly and act like they would have handled this whole thing properly," she said firmly. "Wrong or right, you weren't yourself when this happened and I'm not just saying that to defend you."

He looked away and said nothing for a moment. He really did not want to talk about this, especially with her. She had enough strain with her situation as it was.

"And how are you doing?" he asked tensely, obviously changing the subject.

She arched her eyebrow, realizing what he was doing. She let out a soft sigh.

"I see exactly what you're doing and I just want you to know you can always talk to me Klaus," she said gently, giving his hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze.

He met her gaze and looked into her eyes for a long moment, seeing the sincerity and kindness in them and he felt a small sense of comfort overtake him as he tightened his hold on her hand.

"I'm sorry this all happened," she added softly and again he could see the sincerity in her eyes and hear it in her voice. "But please don't think that everyone around you is going to hurt you the way that they did. You have people that really care about you and want to help you if you'd just let them."

He clenched his jaw and didn't say anything for a few moments. He wanted to believe her but how could he when his past was an indication of quite the opposite?

"I'm sorry you're dealing with everything you're dealing with love," he finally answered once again changing the subject, keeping his gaze on hers. "You and your family don't deserve it."

"You don't deserve any of this either," she said in a firm but gentle voice.

"Enough about me. I want to talk about you," he said quickly not just because he was anxious to change the subject but because he was genuinely really curious to know what was going on with her situation.

She let out a long sigh and he could almost see the weariness she was caring on her shoulders.

"What happened at the doctor's Caroline?" he asked tentatively trying his best to remain collected and not let the worry show on his face. "You promised me we would resume this conversation later," he reminded her.

"It was just kind of an informational meeting…it was a little bit hard to swallow everything. I don't really know how else to describe it," she answered tensely, suddenly very interested in her coffee.

He felt his body tense at her response. He hated that he had not been there to help her deal with this sooner.

"Anything I can do to help sweetheart?" he asked in a low voice and felt his heart quicken at the genuine, albeit small, smile she gave him in response.

"All I can do right now is wait I guess," she responded, much the same way he had earlier.

He sat in silence for a few moments before asking the question he was desperately yearning to ask.

"Have you given any more thought to getting tested?" he asked in a tight voice, keeping his gaze on her to gage her reaction. When he saw her entire body tense he knew what her answer was going to be so he was already frowning before she even spoke.

"I haven't made any decisions yet. It's not an easy decision to make and I want to be completely sure before I decide anything," she answered, keeping her gaze fixed on her coffee mug.

"Why are you so set against it Caroline?" he asked tensely, trying his best to remain calm. _Why was she being so stubborn with this?_

"Why can't you try to see where I'm coming from? I don't want to let this diagnosis dictate how the rest of my life will play out. There are so many things I know I can't control like my dad walking out and then walking back in with this terrible disease, Kitty maybe having it, I know I can't control any of that and it almost kills me to know that but if I get that test and the results are positive…I'll give up every control I have over my own life. I can't live a life where I feel like I'm not in control, where I already know how things are going to play out and I have no say in it," she answered in a strained voice, tears evident in her eyes.

"Forgive me love but I feel like you're already letting your fear of this disease control you. You say you don't want to get these results because you fear how it will change your life but you're letting your fear make this decision for you," he countered.

He saw her stop playing with her coffee mug and they both sat there silently for a few moments before she let out a long and exhausted sigh.

"I haven't been able to sleep ever since I found out and I feel like I'm growing a hole in my stomach. I keep thinking about Bill, Kitty, my parents, you, my friends, and how this will affect us. I'm finally moving in the direction I want to in my career and now this…I didn't want this to be part of my story. I'd do anything to not be here and have my life work out the way I hoped and planned. There is no easy solution Klaus, whatever decision I make it won't be easy. All I can do is be sure that the decision I'm making is one I can live with," she answered in a low and choked voice.

He sat quietly contemplating her words and feeling the frustration grow within him. He hated that she had to be going through this and to use her words, he hated that this had to be part of her story.

"You don't have to make a decision today or tomorrow, I just want the decision to come from you, not from fear. It's alright to feel fear love but that shouldn't be what makes this decision for you," he answered her gently, keeping his tight hold on her hand. "Promise me that you will really think about it and open yourself up to the possibility of getting tested."

"Why do you want me to get tested so badly? Is that going to change things between us?" she asked softly, slowly bringing her gaze up to meet his.

He looked at her almost in surprise before he collected himself and answered.

"Caroline you are one of the most important people in my life and nothing will change that. _**Nothing**_," he emphasized firmly.

He couldn't admit to her right then that he needed to know if she carried the gene because he was terrified. He was terrified of losing her because she really had become one of the most important people in his life other than his family and even then, the connection he had with her could not compare to the connection he had with anyone else. He suddenly found himself realizing that he never tried to plan out the rest of his life but subconsciously, he always planned that she would always be part of it. She was the one thing he had always planned on. This realization hit him suddenly like a pound of bricks and he had to look away.

"What are you thinking?" she asked tentatively after a moment.

He didn't look at her right away nor did he immediately answer, something that made her nervous.

"I just want you to be okay love," he finally answered in a low voice.

She gently place her other hand over his bandaged one, and gave him a small but sad smile.

"I believe that we both will be," she answered softly. "You're one of the most important people in my life too Klaus and I will stand by you come hell and high water," she added in a soft but firm voice.

He never knew how to respond when she made admissions like this to him and it always took every ounce of control that he had to not impulsively dismiss her words as a lie. People always lied to him about these things; nobody cared about him unless they had something to gain. Hell, he was sitting here bruised and with a nearly broken hand as a result of other's lies to him.

He knew it was different with Caroline but he still didn't know how to respond right then so he asked the question that had been on the back of his mind since they left her house.

"And how will Matt factor into all of this love?" he asked a little tensely, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could even though inside he was burning with annoyance and something else he couldn't quite identify.

"What does Matt have to do with anything?" she asked as she arched an eyebrow in confusion.

He shrugged and tried to keep his demeanor casual and aloof.

"I overheard him ask you to accompany him to his company party this weekend. Are you two going to start dating now?" he asked a little more tensely than he intended to, eyeing her closely to see her reaction.

"He asked me to go as friends. We're just hanging out and getting to know each other," she answered simply, still confused by how Matt had become a part of their conversation.

"Are you sure that's all he has in mind? Just friendship?" he asked in that same tense voice as before.

He frowned as he saw her look away.

"Is that all you have in mind?" he asked more intensely, hoping to get her to look at him, his heart suddenly racing as he anxiously anticipated her response.

She let out a sigh before she finally looked up at him and answered. He could see the stiff position she had taken and the color that had risen to her cheeks. He stiffened in response, not liking that a conversation about Matt could have this affect on her.

"We're just going to hang out as friends Klaus. I'm not sure I'm ready to date again but whatever happens with Matt won't change anything between you and me. You're my best friend and no relationship we have with other people will change that. I won't let it," she answered honestly giving him a small and reassuring smile.

When he didn't say anything for a moment, she became a little concerned.

"Klaus what's this about? Why did you bring up Matt?" she asked seriously, meeting his gaze.

He shrugged, trying to control his expression.

"I think it's only natural to take interest in the guy my best friend may be dating," he tried to respond innocently even though the last words tasted like vinegar in his mouth.

He heard her sigh and eyed her curiously.

"You don't need to worry about Matt or any other guy for that matter. What you and I have…I wouldn't trade that for anything. I've already told you, I'm not going anywhere," she told him gently with a genuine smile.

They were interrupted as the waitress finally brought their food out. Caroline quickly dug into her plate but he remained quiet, getting lost in his thoughts. He couldn't understand why it bothered him so much to hear her say that they would always be best friends. _Only best friends. _Isn't that much the same thing he had just told Stefan a few days before? He recalled what had happened earlier in his car. It had taken him by surprise to realize she was that close and as he had looked into her eyes, he felt himself being sucked in automatically, much like he had one night seven years ago. It had taken every conscience effort to pull back before he gave in and did what he _really_ wanted to do at that moment. It had gotten him in trouble with her once and he had learned his lesson. He would never jeopardize his relationship with Caroline in that way again but he couldn't ignore the bigger question that had been on his mind since the moment that it happened. _Why had he wanted to kiss her?_

He glanced up at her and watched her as she quietly ate her food and admired the way her wet curls fell around her face, the way her eyes always seemed to have a hint of light reflecting off them…he quickly shook his head. This whole situation that happened with Tatia was really messing with his mind.

"Klaus are you okay?" she asked as she put her fork down and eyed him curiously.

"Yeah, just have some things on my mind," he answered thickly, forcing himself to take a bite out of his food.

He could feel her looking at him for a few moments before she awkwardly resumed her meal. They ate the rest of their meal in silence and when they were finished, he saw her look past him and frown.

"This storm is still coming down pretty strong," she said.

He turned to look and saw that she was right. He frowned at the thought of having to drive back in these conditions.

"We could always wait a little longer?" he suggested a little hesitantly.

"I could go always go for dessert," she said with a smile that lit up her face.

He smiled in response, her smile once again infectious. After they had each ordered a pastry, she looked at him with a soft smile lighting her features.

"Thanks for coming with me today," she said softly.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else love," he answered her honestly, the truth of his words hitting him.

After the week he had, he didn't care where he was as long as he got to be with her watching her smile and hearing her laugh, watching the way her eyes lit up every time she smiled or got an idea. To feel her warm hands entwined with his or her arms wrapped around him. He suddenly remembered Matt's words from earlier.

"_Well I don't know how he manages it," he said._

"_Manages what?" she asked. _

"_To be around you for so long and not feel the desire to be so much more than just your friend," he answered._

He almost sighed in frustration at the entire situation. What happened with Tatia was _really _messing with his mind that's the only logical explanation. He and Caroline were only friends, was he seriously that desperate for love that he was trying to blur the lines? He scowled at himself and tried to get his mind off of Tatia and Matt because at that moment, he didn't know which of the two annoyed him more. He cringed at the thought of Caroline with Matt and thought of his words again. _How had he managed it and even more importantly, how much longer could he keep doing it?..._

**Thanks for reading all the way through! I hope you guys enjoyed it! So Klaus has a thing or two he has to square out in his mind. His feelings are muddled right now because of the whole Tatia situation and this is Caroline, his best friend so realistically he won't get everything squared out in one day BUT certain individuals will help make things clear for him. Some had wondered if Mikael or Elijah had been the one Tatia was cheating with but in my little universe, Mikael is actually dead (sorry I only alluded to that in previous chapters) and I felt like it would be completely out of character for Elijah to do something like this to Klaus. They've grown apart because of things that will be discussed in future chapters, but at the end of the day, Elijah still cares about his brother and the loyalty is there deep down. Also, p****lease keep in mind that most of this story was written before the originals even aired so I didn't really know anything about Marcel other than the fact he was trying to take Klaus down so to avoid any confusion, please don't compare the Marcel in this story to the one in the show. I hope you guys can also understand where Caroline is coming from with her decision of being tested & I did want to mention this will definitely become a bigger deal in the upcoming chapters as this whole situation takes center stage again. Thanks so much again for reading & for your reviews! I truly appreciate them so please let me know what you guys think! :)**


	9. Chapter 9-Come Away With Me

**As always I want to start off by thanking you guys for being awesome & continuing to support my story! Thank you to Nati1729, MsCindz, Jackiezn, 4everKlaroline, tuzin, Cathalinaheart, Mystery Girl3, dee, Guest & Guest & everyone who followed & faved! :) I really love hearing what you guys have to say since ultimately, I'm writing this story to share with you guys so please don't hesitate to leave me feedback :) Your feedback is incredibly helpful since it's really the only insight I have into what you guys think & it always motivates me to keep updating so THANK YOU! This is another one of those chapters that was hard to write during some parts so being perfectly honest, I'm a little nervous but here it is. Please forgive any errors I didn't catch. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"_**And I want to wake up with the rain  
**__**Falling on a tin roof  
**__**While I'm safe there in your arms  
**__**So all I ask is for you  
**__**To come away with me in the night...**__**"**_

* * *

Caroline sat quietly by Kitty's side as they sat in the doctor's waiting room anxiously waiting for Kitty to be called back. Ever since they had spoken to their parents a week ago, Kitty had been adamant about getting tested for the gene. Just like Klaus, Kitty did not understand Caroline's reasoning for not wanting to get tested which was something that had caused a few arguments between them throughout the week. Thankfully, Kitty had backed down and had not brought it up this morning.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" Caroline asked softly to a very anxious Kitty who silently shook her head.

"I just want to get this over with," Kitty said nervously.

"This will all be over before we know it and it'll all be okay," she told her gently with the best reassuring smile she could muster. "What time are you meeting mom?"

"Right after this. She said to meet her at work. Are you sure you don't want to come?" Kitty asked.

"I wish I could but I have to get to the magazine. Stella only gave me the morning off because I promised to watch what everyone will be wearing tomorrow night like a hawk and report back to her," Caroline said with a small smile. "I'll start with you."

Kitty looked away and fidgeted with her hands nervously, much like Caroline always did.

"What's wrong Kitty?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing it's just…I haven't told David yet and the more I'm around him…"Kitty trailed off.

Caroline looked at her sister and couldn't help the sad sigh that escaped her.

"You need to tell him Kitty. This is something that's too big to keep from him," Caroline said sadly.

"I know, I just don't know how to bring it up, how to know when the right time is…how did you tell Klaus?" Kitty asked in a small voice.

Caroline felt her chest tighten at the memory of the night she told Klaus.

"He was waiting for me when dad dropped me off…he knew something was wrong and even though part of me didn't want to tell him, I knew I couldn't keep that from him. It wasn't easy but I managed it…"she said in a tight voice. "Had I known what was going to happen with Tatia, I probably wouldn't have said anything when I did."

Kitty rolled her eyes.

"There's no way you could've known what a character Tatia was going to turn out to be," Kitty said bitingly. "How's Klaus doing with that by the way?"

Caroline let out another sigh.

"I think he's doing okay, I mean he doesn't really talk about it," she answered.

"So what do you guys talk about when you're over at his place?" Kitty asked curiously.

For the past week, Caroline had alternated between hanging out at home with Kitty after she got off work and going over to Klaus'.

"We don't really talk much. I work on sketching out my designs and he works on his own sketches. The most talking we do is during dinner but he's being very mum about the whole slut fiasco," she answered tensely.

"When is he going back to work?" Kitty asked.

"I don't really know and I don't think he does either. His brothers and the lawyers think it's better that he takes a few weeks off while they work everything out with Marcel," she answered, feeling the frustration overtake her again.

"David told me that they'll be discharging him from the hospital probably today?" Kitty said.

"Yeah," Caroline said tensely.

"Is he going back to work soon?" Kitty asked.

"I don't know, I think that's what they're trying to work out. Klaus is a Mikaelson so they can't just get rid of him but Marcel is a main partner so they can't exactly get rid of him either…"she answered with furrowed eyebrows.

"Poor Klaus, he really doesn't deserve any of this," Kitty said with the same frustrated expression Caroline had.

Just then they heard her name finally be called by the nurse. Kitty slowly rose up, giving Caroline's hand a gentle squeeze before walking back to where the nurse was waiting for her. As soon as she was gone, Caroline released the breath she had not been aware she had been holding since she heard Kitty's name be called. Though she tried to remain calm, now it was her turn to wait anxiously repeating to herself over and over again, like her own mantra, that this test would go well and the results would be negative. They just had to be.

After what felt like forever, Kitty finally came back out to meet a very anxious Caroline.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Caroline asked quickly.

"Well that part is over, now I get to play the waiting game," Kitty answered anxiously.

"When will they let you know the results?" Caroline asked.

"The nurse told me they would let me know as soon as they had them in. She said it would probably be Monday or Tuesday," she replied, tension written all over her face.

"It'll be fine Kitty, those results will be negative you'll see," Caroline tried to reassure her even though she was extremely anxious herself. "Come on, let's get you to your lunch date with mom. I'm sure she's anxious to see you."

* * *

The next evening, Caroline rushed into her house after spending the entire day working on her designs, her fingers numb after sowing so many small pieces of sequins onto numerous dresses and skirts. She rushed into her bedroom to begin getting ready for Matt's company party. She laid out the dress she would be wearing to the event. It was one she had designed herself for a formal event like the one she would be going to tonight. It was a floor length champagne gown with a pattern of deep gold and silver sequins coming down along the skirt, both in the front and the back. It had a sweetheart cut and was strapless, with the top also covered in the deep gold and silver sequins. She picked out her nude pumps to pair with the dress and decided to go with a brown smokey-eye makeup look and finished it up with a nude lipstick and lipgloss. She decided to wear her hair down in loose curls with small teardrop earrings to complete her look.

She walked out of her room and ran into Kitty who was coming out of her bedroom, also in the midst of getting ready. Because David was working at the pub, he would not be picking up Kitty until later. Unfortunately for Caroline, since Matt worked for the law firm throwing the party, they had to arrive earlier.

"Wow," Kitty said as she looked at Caroline from head to toe. "Matt's going to have to keep a close eye on you otherwise some other guy will come steal you away throughout the night," Kitty said with a laugh.

"Thanks Kitty but I think you're a little biased," Caroline said with a laugh, fighting back a blush.

"Maybe but I'm also honest," Kitty replied with a smile. "You really do look beautiful Care."

"Thank you," Caroline responded, unable to fight back the blush this time. "What time are you guys heading to the party?"

"David said he was going to try to head out earlier but he still has some things to take care of. It's a Saturday so they're pretty busy," Kitty answered.

"Well I hope you guys don't get there too late. I'm sure Matt will be very busy with his law firm people and I don't want him to feel like he has to hang around me all night to keep me company," Caroline said.

"Law firm people?" Kitty repeated with a laugh. "What about Klaus? Won't he be there?"

"No, he's keeping his distance from the company after what happened and he's never been one for these kinds of things anyway," Caroline answered with a frown. She understood his reasons for not being there, but that didn't mean she had to like them.

"Well his family will be there, maybe you can have a proper cup of tea with Rebekah now that you two are friends," Kitty teased with a small and awkward laugh.

Caroline had filled Kitty in on what had happened with Rebekah and Esther the previous week, still in a little bit of shock herself that it had really happened. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Caroline walked over to open the door and was greeted by Matt standing in a black suit. He smiled widely and let out a small whistle when he saw her.

"You look great," he said as he eyed her from head to toe, causing her to look away embarrassed. "You ready?" he asked, holding his arm out to her.

"Yes, let me just grab my coat," she said with a slight blush.

She turned to Kitty who was handing her her small clutch and coat.

"Have fun you two," Kitty said with a smile as she waved goodbye to them.

"I'll see you later," Caroline said pointedly before taking Matt's arm and following him out.

They rode in the car making small talk about how he was adjusting to the small town and the law firm. When talk of the law firm came up, she was really tempted to ask him about Klaus' case but knew she couldn't, a fact that really frustrated her. She was kind of surprised when they pulled into the parking lot for the event. The party was being held at the same hotel where David's sister had gotten married, probably one of the fancier places in the whole town. She accepted his hand as he came around and walked in to the hall with her arm linked in his. She instantly took in the guests of this party and couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling she got. Caroline did not see an array of happy and friendly faces she had seen at the wedding. Instead, she mostly saw stone-faced individuals drinking expensive wine and champagne and discussing nothing but business matters. She instantly felt out of place but spotted Elijah and Rebekah right at the same time that they saw her. She was a little surprised when they both walked over to her and felt her stomach drop at the sight of Rebekah walking toward her. She had not seen her since she had gone off on her mother.

"Miss Forbes, it's great to see you," Elijah said as politely as he always, giving her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Meanwhile Rebekah stood next to him giving her a pointed look and eyeing Matt curiously. "Mr. Donovan, your firm has put on quite an impressive event," he added, extending a hand out to greet Matt.

Matt sheepishly mumbled a 'thank you,' obviously intimidated by Elijah's presence.

"And how are you doing?" Elijah asked, turning back to her, an odd sincerity in his voice and eyes as he closely watched her.

"Good, everything is good," she responded a little baffled, surprised by his genuine interest. She almost got the impression that there was an underlying meaning to his question, like he knew something more about her. She quickly brushed those thoughts aside; she was being paranoid and reading too much into things. She felt herself begin to redden as he kept watching her closely and was thankful when Rebekah interrupted.

"I'm Rebekah Mikaelson, Elijah's sister," she said to Matt as she extended out a hand to him.

"Matt Donovan, nice to meet you," he said with a smile as he quickly shook her hand.

Elijah saw someone else from the company and excused himself, as did Rebekah. Before she left however, she turned to Caroline.

"Caroline can I have a word later?" she asked in a firm voice tone. Although it was phrased as a question, it was really more of a command.

"Of course," Caroline answered in a tight voice, feeling anxious all of a sudden.

As soon as they were gone, Matt turned to look at her curiously.

"I didn't realize you knew all the Mikaelsons," he said with a surprised smile.

"I don't interact with them that often but I've gotten to know them throughout the years because of Klaus," she said with a shrug.

"I didn't know you and Klaus had such a long history," he said with an indiscernible undertone.

She looked at him curiously but didn't get a chance to ask him what he was thinking because just then, he spotted one of his bosses and had to excuse himself to go greet him. As Matt was making his rounds greeting all of his bosses and important people from the Mikaelson's company, she pulled out her phone to text Klaus and see what he was doing. Matt finished his rounds and made his way back to her and Klaus had still not responded.

"So now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, want to dance?" Matt asked with a bright smile as he reached her, extending out a hand to her, completely ignoring their previous conversation.

"Sure," she answered with a small smile, accepting his hand as he led her out to the dance floor, deciding to drop their conversation from earlier too.

* * *

Klaus walked through the hotel lobby toward the hall where the party was being held. He straightened out his suit jacket and adjusted his black tie, almost gritting his teeth in annoyance. He truly hated getting dressed up for ridiculous events like these. He always avoided these events if he could, which always resulted in arguments with his brothers and ironically, if they saw him tonight, they would argue with him about him being there. _Guess you never can win_, he thought to himself. He wasn't there to draw attention to himself, he was only there to see a certain best friend of his. He looked down at his phone and saw her message and smirked. She wouldn't say it, but he knew she wanted him there.

He was barely walking into the hall when his brother Kol, who was holding a half-empty glass of champagne, intercepted him.

"Nik! Surprised to see you here mate. Everyone said you weren't coming," Kol said with a pointed smile.

"Well you know I always have been full of surprises and do what I want," Klaus answered, irritation evident in his voice. He was in no mood for his brother's games.

"Clearly. I'm sure Marcel knows that better than anybody. I don't think he's here if you were looking to finish him up," Kol answered with a wicked grin.

Klaus let out an angry growl.

"I'm only joking Nik lighten up," Kol said quickly with a devilish laugh. "But why are you here? You never liked coming to these things before."

"And I still don't. I assure you I have no intention of hanging around all night brown-nosing and bragging about the millions I've acquired.," Klaus answered tensely.

"I have no intention of doing that either brother, that's what Finn and Elijah are here for," Kol responded with a smirk. "I'm here for the open bar and ladies."

"Well what are you waiting for then? Go on, have at it," Klaus replied with an eye roll.

"It'll be more fun if you do it with me. Come on Nik, join me," Kol said with a wicked smirk.

Klaus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes again.

"Perhaps later. I have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment," he responded.

Kol pouted but after seeing that Klaus was really not going to join him, he set off in the direction of a blonde sitting by herself. After managing to get rid of Kol, Klaus walked deeper into the large hall, scanning through the many faces looking for one in particular. He finally spotted her dancing across the room with Matt and he was instantly infuriated but as he took in her appearance, he felt like his heart jump into his throat. She looked absolutely beautiful in her champagne colored gown that flowed easily with every move she made, making her appear almost angelic and making him want to run his fingers through her long locks and feel her in his arms.

"What are you doing here Nik?" Rebekah asked coming up next to him and interrupting his thoughts.

He clenched his teeth and rolled his eyes in annoyance both at his sister's appearance after he had just gotten rid of one sibling and the sight of Matt's arms wrapped around his Caroline. _His_ Caroline?

"That is none of your concern," he answered tensely, keeping his eyes on Matt and Caroline.

"Who is that guy Caroline is here with?" Rebekah asked as she turned to see what he was looking at.

"David's cousin. He works for the law firm," he explained through gritted teeth, unable to stop looking at Matt's hand wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Why didn't she come here with you?" Rebekah asked, turning to look at him with an arched eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes but did not remove his eyes from Matt and Caroline. He couldn't look away even though the sight of them together infuriated him.

"Because little sister, as I'm sure you're aware, Elijah and Finn asked to me stay away tonight. Bad publicity and all that," he said tensely, growing more irritated as he saw Caroline laugh at something Matt told her.

"Then why did you come? Was it simply to piss off our dear brothers or did you come for another reason?" she asked with that same arched eyebrow.

He finally forced his gaze away from them and turned to look at her warily, picking up on her undertone.

"What are you getting at Rebekah?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

She rolled her eyes before answering.

"Don't screw things up Nik," she said with an indiscernible undertone. "Now I suggest you move out of such clear sight before one of our dear brothers see you," she added with her typical attitude but softened her expression before she turned and walked away from him, leaving him completely confused as to what had just taken place.

He turned his gaze back to where Caroline and Matt were still dancing, causing him to clench his teeth once more in irritation. Why did it bother him so much?

The song had just ended and Caroline was about to ask Matt if they could sit down for a while when she saw Matt turn around and her face instantly lit up as she saw who was behind him.

"Klaus!" she exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Good evening," he said to both of them but only looking at her, with a dimpled grin. It always made his heart race whenever she reacted this way at the sight of him.

Matt looked at him a little warily but quickly extended his hand out to shake Klaus'.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I could never pass an opportunity to attend an event like this love," he responded with a smirk that she knew was a sarcastic one.

She rolled her eyes with a small laugh.

"Mind if I interrupt you and have this next dance with Caroline?" Klaus asked, turning to Matt., and much like his sister, it was implied as not really being a question.

Matt turned to look at Caroline a little warily before turning back to Klaus.

"No go ahead, I should probably go greet some of our associates who just arrived," he answered with a small smile. "Just return her to me by the end of the night," he added with a small smile before walking away.

Klaus extended his hand out to Caroline and she noticed he had a slight frown on his face.

"I thought you said you this wasn't a date?" he said as nonchalantly as he could make himself sound as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in close to him and taking her hand in his as he felt her other hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"It's not, we're here as friends," she replied, looking at him with a confused expression. "Why?"

"I wouldn't be so sure your 'friend" Matt knows that," he answered tensely.

She looked up at him and noticed he was clenching his jaw.

"He knows where I stand," she answered, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"And where exactly would that be sweetheart?" he asked seriously, bringing his gaze down to meet hers.

She was instantly sucked in and mesmerized by his deep blue eyes. Neither one said anything, simply moving to the rhythm of the music, their gazes locked on one another's, both seemingly oblivious to the world around them. All he could focus on were her blue orbs that were entrancing him and the feel of her warm hand in his, the warmth of her body radiating off of her. They kept dancing this way until at some point he saw her eyes drop down to his lips and he instantly felt his heart race. She glanced back at him and quickly looked away, the color rising to her cheeks, something that did not go unnoticed by him.

"I don't know," she stammered in a small voice that was barely a whisper when the song finally came to an end and they stopped moving.

Her answer greatly frustrated him for a reason that he couldn't exactly explain but he made no attempt to step back or let her go. He had no intention of seeing her return to Matt so soon and truthfully, he enjoyed the feel of her in his arms.

Right as she looked back at him, they were interrupted when Elijah walked up to them.

"Pardon me, would you mind if I had a quick word with my brother?" Elijah asked her politely, but she could hear the tension underlying his tone and she did not miss the irritated expression that overcame Klaus' features.

"Umm sure," she replied awkwardly. "I'm going to go see if Kitty's here yet," she said giving Klaus an apologetic look before she turned away but he stopped her by gently grabbing her wrist.

"I'll find you after this," he said with an odd intensity underlying his voice.

She nodded her head, giving him a small smile before walking away. Klaus turned on his brother, irritation written all over his face.

"What do you want Elijah?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Why did you come here tonight Niklaus?" Elijah asked with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"That is none of your concern. Lest you have forgotten, I'm just as entitled to be here as you are," Klaus snapped, any semblance of patience he had disappearing quickly.

"This has nothing to do with who deserves to be here Niklaus things are complicated and they are very serious. When will you start to take things seriously and assume responsibility for your own actions?" Elijah chided, anger evident in his voice.

"Spare me the lecture Elijah I've heard this all before," Klaus responded back, anger evident in his voice as well.

"Then you think you'd have learned something by now," Elijah snapped.

"Don't patronize me-"Klaus started.

"Then stop acting like a child!" Elijah said loudly, causing some people standing nearby to turn and look at them. Elijah took in a deep breath to collect himself and stopped Klaus who was turning to walk away.

"Do not touch me or I may forget that you are my brother," Klaus snarled, anger evident in his eyes.

"Is violence your solution to everything?" Elijah asked with a cold expression.

"Why does that surprise you? We had the best example at home did we not?" he said loudly, causing a few more individuals to turn to look at them.

Just then they both noticed Finn come up to them with Rebekah close in tow.

"What is the meaning of this? You two are making a scene," Finn hissed, but tried to appear casual to the nearby observers. "Let us discuss this somewhere privately," he added in a quiet but menacing voice.

Klaus gritted his teeth and let out a growl in frustration before turning and walking away from them but he could hear them close behind him. As soon as they were outside of the hall and far away enough from the guests, he heard Finn call out to him.

"Do not walk away from us Niklaus!" he said angrily.

Klaus rolled his eyes and clenched his fists in anger without turning to look back at them. At that moment all he wanted to do was find Caroline and get out of there but he knew his siblings would not make it that easy for him.

"Niklaus," Elijah called loudly.

Klaus turned angrily on his heel to face them, causing them all to stop suddenly.

"I'm sure there are plenty of investors you can be sucking up to, don't waste your time with me," he seethed, his face flushed with anger.

"It was not wise of you to come here today since you are here and seeing as to how you refuse to answer any of our calls, we might as well discuss your case now," Elijah said as calmly as he could, although you could sense the tension in his voice.

Klaus groaned and turned away again.

"I can handle my own affairs Elijah do not burden yourself with that," he said sarcastically although he was still seething.

He made his way outside to the side of the hotel where there was only the occasional passerby. He wanted to be alone and clear his mind, release some of the frustration and tension he had been feeling all week and that only seemed to increase since he walked through those hotel lobby doors. He wouldn't admit it to his family but he was growing worried about what was happening with his case. It seemed each day his lawyers only had bad news for him and his patience was starting to wear thin. He hadn't said anything about the latest developments in his case to Caroline but he knew he couldn't keep them from her for long. As it was, she would already be furious that he hadn't told her about the fact that Marcel was pressing charges. He sucked in his breath and released it slowly, trying to get rid of all the frustration he felt as he released the breath. _How the hell had things gotten so complicated? How had he misjudged Marcel so badly?_ Who else was he misjudging? He quickly brushed those thoughts aside, not daring to go there. Nobody else close to him had given him reason to be suspicious or weary…but then again neither had Marcel or Tatia. This is why he didn't allow himself to care for people; not because he preferred being lonely, it was just easier this way. He spent the next half hour pacing back and forth, battling with these infuriating thoughts until he could no longer stand it.

Klaus made his way back to the hall where the party was being held, simultaneously keeping an eye out for Caroline and anybody from his family. He had known that coming tonight meant risking running into them and having to discuss his case, but he had been determined to see Caroline tonight. The thought of Matt having the whole night to woo her had infuriated him more than the thought of having to face his family.

"Hey Klaus, have you seen Caroline?" Matt asked coming up beside him.

Klaus turned to look at Matt and felt the irritation double almost instantly.

"Not since she went to look for Kitty," Klaus answered in a tight voice.

"David called me a little while ago and said they weren't coming. Something came up I guess," Matt answered with a frown. "The head of our firm just showed up and asked that I join him and his wife. I was hoping Caroline could join us too…"

Klaus looked at him and raised his eyebrows, wondering what had happened; knowing it probably wasn't anything good.

"I'm sure she's around here somewhere. I'll find her. You get back to your boss, they don't exactly like to be kept waiting," Klaus said tensely, already scanning the room for her face.

"Thanks," Matt said before he turned and walked away.

Klaus felt momentarily guilty for being so irritated with Matt just because he was trying to date Caroline. He was sure that Matt was not a bad guy but he couldn't suppress that overwhelming irritation that overcame him every time he saw him near Caroline. He sighed a little in frustration and walked toward the other room, looking for Caroline hoping he would find her before Matt did. Even if Matt was a good guy, that didn't make him want him around Caroline anymore than he could help.

When he didn't find her in any of the rooms being used for the event, he went out to the lobby to look for her there. He had to dodge into a hallway when he saw his mother being escorted by Finn toward the party. He was in no mood to deal with any of his family members for the rest of the night, _especially his mother._ He had been kind of surprised that she had not come to see him yet about this whole Marcel fiasco but he knew it was only a matter of time. She was probably too ashamed of him at the moment to actually face him. When he saw the coast was clear, he quickly escaped outside to the hotel patios. There weren't many people out there because it was a cold night but he found the cold night air and fog setting over the lake inviting.

He was slowly walking toward the lake when he spotted Caroline from a distance, standing by herself in front of it. He quickly started walking toward her, feeling a rush of relief course through him when he saw her standing there. As he got closer, he could see the moonlight from the lake reflect onto her fair skin and off the sequins on her dress, creating a soft glow about her. That and the light wind blowing the skirt of her dress softly made her appear angelic, almost like he had walked straight into a dream.

"What are you doing out here love?" he asked when he almost reached her.

She turned to look at him and he instantly saw the tears in her eyes and he could see the tear stains on her face.

"What's the matter?" he asked immediately, feeling his body tense in anticipation of her response.

She shook her head with a bitter laugh, wiping away a stray tear hastily with one hand, clutching a bottle of expensive wine with the other.

"Kitty called me and said she wasn't coming because we had an unexpected visitor," she answered.

He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows, confused as to where she was going with this.

"Well technically my parents had the unexpected visitor but my mom called Kitty and then Kitty called me, but I was dancing with you or Matt I'm not even sure, so I missed the call-" she rambled before he interrupted her.

"Sweetheart you're rambling. What's going on?" he asked calmly although he felt completely tense.

"My- Bill showed up at my parents house earlier," she answered in a strained voice and he could see the fresh tears form in her eyes as she took another big swig of the bottle.

Klaus felt himself freeze at her response. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to her, what could he say? He stayed silent for a few moments, watching as she took another drink, drinking as if she was drinking fresh water. She was clearly on a mission to get drunk. He was barely reaching forward to take the bottle from her when she stepped back and held a hand up to him.

"I'm fine Klaus, really. I'm just reminiscing about the good old days when Bill used to sit around the house drinking straight out of the bottle, just like I am now," she said bitterly, taking another drink almost as if to emphasize her point.

He felt his chest tighten at her words. She didn't really talk about her father much so he didn't know the whole story there but it seemed everything new he discovered about this guy made him dislike him even more. Every story Caroline revealed proved just how much he had really hurt her.

"Caroline maybe I should get you home," he said gently, moving a little closer to her.

"No I'm fine. I'm not going to let him ruin my night. Kitty might, but not me. Not anymore…he's already ruined enough of those," she said through angry tears, taking another drink from the bottle and effectively finishing it.

She groaned in irritation and threw the bottle into the lake, surprising both Klaus and herself.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed loudly, causing Klaus to look at her with raised eyebrows, concern evident in his expression. While she did curse, she wasn't the type to throw things or curse like this.

"Sweetheart-" he started but she cut him off.

"I'm sorry Klaus, I'm sorry…" she trailed off for a moment. "Do you know what he told my mom when he showed up at her door? The same door he walked out of years ago without a second look? He said he was lonely and missed his family, his daughters, and wanted the opportunity to explain himself…"she trailed off again, the tears streaming down her face endlessly.

Klaus felt a knot form in his throat and approached her slowly, gently pulling her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her almost as if hoping to shield her from some of the pain she was feeling. He could smell the alcohol on her meaning she had probably drank the entire bottle on her own. He frowned at this, Caroline wasn't the type to drink like this just because she was upset; she had to be _really_ upset.

"Isn't that the biggest load of crap you've ever heard?" she cried as she wrapped her arms tightly around him too. "He's had fourteen years…_fourteen _years and not once during all that time…I didn't even know if he was still alive until my parents gave us the news…" she trailed off again, her voice too choked for her to continue.

Klaus felt the tears sting in his eyes as well as he listened to her and felt her bury her face deeper into his chest. He instinctively tightened his hold and pulled her in closer until she was impossibly close to him. Again he found himself at a loss as to what to do or say, wishing somebody could give him these answers; tell him how he could make things better for her.

"He wasn't the best dad but he was still my dad. I waited for him…I cried myself to sleep for months after he left and woke up every morning hoping he would come back that day but he never showed. He left. He just wrote us out of his world like we were common strangers…and now suddenly he's back," she said in a voice so small and frail, the tears silently streaming down her face. "I used to dream about this moment every day when I was younger, it was all I wanted…it's all ridiculous isn't it?" she asked, looking up at him with a look that was so broken Klaus felt like a knife was being dragged through his heart painfully slow.

"What your father did wasn't fair to you or your family. You have every right to be upset and angry," he said in a tight voice, looking deep into her eyes for a few moments before she broke their gaze as new tears ran down her face.

She tightened her grip and buried her face into his warm chest as soft sobs escaped her.

"Just let it out sweetheart," he whispered, feeling like his heart was about to give out from how tight it felt in his chest.

He wasn't sure how long they stood embracing each other like this but after a long moment he felt her body quit shaking, her grip on him loosening somewhat. He wasn't sure if he should let go and step back though if he were being perfectly honest, he really didn't want to. After several moments had passed, he was beginning to wonder what she was thinking now when he felt her begin to move her body slowly, almost like she was moving to a slow rhythm, dancing along to music only she could hear. When he heard her humming ever so softly, he knew that's exactly what she was doing. He didn't recognize the sound but he went along with it regardless, letting her lead him in a heartbreaking dance to the song she was humming.

What he didn't know was that after their father left them, Caroline would keep hanging around the living room windows and door, always coming up with some excuse to be there but her mother saw with a broken heart what her young daughter was doing. One night as Caroline was cleaning up her homework materials, feeling the tears in her eyes, she felt her mother come up and put a warm and gentle hand on her shoulder. When Caroline turned to face her, Liz took Caroline's small hand in hers and pulled her in and began gently swaying to a beat Caroline could not hear. She heard her mother start humming a song Caroline did not recognize at the time, the very same song she was humming now. Although Liz didn't say anything to her at the time, Caroline felt a strange sense of relief dancing with her mother that night, the same relief she was seeking now.

Without thinking about it, Klaus kissed the top of her head and let his head rest there, breathing in the flowery scent of her soft hair. When he was with her like this it was hard for him to think about anything other than the feel of her body against his, her intoxicating scent…when he saw her in pain like this, his first impulse was to rip apart whoever hurt her and to find a way to take her pain away. While he instinctively felt the need to protect his family, these were all feelings that were exclusive to Caroline alone. It had been this way with her almost from the beginning and these feelings had only intensified throughout the years, as they grew closer. He didn't feel this way about anybody else. He knew he cared about Caroline more than anyone else but _how much more?_

This entire week had felt like something out of a stranger's life, especially after the day he spent with her at the bridge and the small coffee shop. After what had happened with Tatia and Marcel, Caroline had almost felt like a saving grace and he couldn't help but compare the differences between what his relationship had been with Tatia and what it was Caroline. The evenings she had spent at his house had been surreal to him as he would watch her quietly work on the sketches of her latest designs. He found himself entranced by how her hands moved swiftly and lightly and the way her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He felt like he could watch her work all day; there was something oddly appealing about it and he found himself wondering more than once what it would be like to get to do this with her all the time. At some point in their relationship, they had been able to hang out and just enjoy each other's company without having to hold a conversation the entire time. With Tatia, his only "real relationship" it had never been this way. It had been based on physical needs since the beginning. There had been no connection between them and part of him wondered if part of the reason had been because he hadn't allowed it. He didn't allow himself to linger on thoughts like these for long; it didn't matter anymore. With Caroline it was different and it always would be. He looked forward to seeing her and he found that she was constantly on his mind. These realizations were all unnerving to him and although part of him instinctively felt the need to withdraw, this part could not compete with the larger part of him that wanted to be near her.

"I don't know what to do," Caroline admitted against his chest in a small voice that was barely audible, interrupting his thoughts, oblivious to his internal debate.

He didn't say anything for a moment, not just because he didn't know what to say but because he was also having a hard time finding his voice, his thoughts making it hard for him to focus on anything else. He looked down at her resting her head against his chest and he said the only thing he could think of, what he desperately wanted at that moment more than anything else.

"Come away with me," he whispered softly in a voice raw with pure emotion, his warm breath caressing her ear and sending goose bumps down her back.

She looked up at him and straight in to his deep blue eyes that seemed to be overcome with some unrecognizable emotion. She was instantly entranced and a little overwhelmed by how he was looking at her; he had never looked at her this way and she felt a shiver run down her back and the goose bumps creep up again. She slowly nodded her head and allowed him to take her by the hand and lead her away.

She told him she needed to stop inside to get her things while he waited outside by the car. His hands were sweaty and his heart was beating faster than normal. _He was nervous. _He couldn't help but shake his head at how ridiculous he was being. He was starting to walk back toward the hotel lobby but stopped when he saw Caroline coming out alongside Matt. He instantly felt his chest tighten and clenched his teeth. Klaus didn't know what Matt was telling her but he did not miss or like the way that he had his arm wrapped around her. They both seemed to see him right then and he and Matt made eye contact briefly. Matt was staring at him with a critical and suspicious look while Klaus had no idea what look he was giving Matt, all he could hope was that it did not convey just how irritated he felt. Matt looked away first and looked down to Caroline to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, something that profoundly irritated Klaus, and said his goodbye before watching her walk slowly toward Klaus who was waiting. It genuinely surprised him that she could walk straight given the bottle of wine she had drank by herself. By the time Caroline reached him she looked a little flustered as she quietly got into the passenger seat. Klaus closed the door for her and turned to look at Matt once more, seeing that same look as before but this time, Matt gave him a small nod before turning and walking away.

Klaus got inside the car quietly, still irritated and confused about what had just happened but decided to push those thoughts aside for the moment. He could figure out whatever had just happened later. Right now he just wanted to enjoy the time he had with Caroline. He started to drive with no particular direction in mind. He didn't know where they were going and truthfully he didn't care, as long as they were together.

"What's on your mind love?" he asked after a while of driving around in silence.

She didn't answer for a few moments, causing him to turn and look at her. Even in the darkness he could see the pain written all over her face.

"I was never good enough for him but even now, I don't know how to let him go…" she answered in a small voice that sounded almost broken.

Klaus instantly felt like his heart grew a thousand times heavier and he felt utterly helpless. His own relationship with his father had been strained at best but in a way he could understand what Caroline meant. There was a time when Klaus did care about his own father but those days had long passed yet still, he understood better than anybody the pain that a father could cause their child and he hated that Caroline was subjected to that. That this too had to be a part of her story.

"Sweetheart you always were, and always be, more than enough. Don't let anyone, not even your father, let you think otherwise," he said through a thick knot that had formed in his throat.

They both rode in silence for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts about their parents and families. At some point, he saw Caroline begin to doze off so he decided to drive her home. It wasn't that late but he knew that alcohol typically made her sleepy, something that he had always found entertaining for some reason. She was asleep by the time he pulled into her driveway but he woke her by gently pushing a loose curl back from her face and gently saying her name. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, the pain still visible in them.

"Come in for a bit?" she asked in a small voice and he could almost hear the plea in it.

"Of course love," he answered tensely. It's not that he didn't want to be with her, but part of him was anxious that Kitty would be there and he would only make things more uncomfortable for all of them.

When they got inside, she immediately went straight to her room to get out of her dress and into something more comfortable. Klaus used the excuse that he needed to use the bathroom to try and see if Kitty's bedroom door was open or if he could see any light coming from her room. He had decided that if he saw either, he would have to come up with some excuse to leave. When he came out, he saw Caroline's bedroom door was opened but he was surprised to not find her in there. The rest of the lights were off in the house so he was confused as to where she could have gone. He found her sitting in the dark next to their liquor cabinet, drinking straight from a bottle. He frowned at the sight of her like this and quickly felt a twinge of guilt go through him. How many times hadn't she seen him like this throughout the years?

"Sweetheart what are you doing?" he asked in a tight voice, afraid his emotions would betray him.

"Needed my night cap," she answered, waving the bottle a little in front of her.

"Caroline, you don't do this love," he said in the same tight voice as before.

"Maybe it's time for a change?" she responded in a voice that sounded distant.

He approached her slowly and gently took the bottle away from her, thankful that she didn't put up a fight. As soon as he took the bottle from her she wrapped her arms around him and started crying into the crook of his neck as he gently picked her up in his arms and carried her to her bed. He gently set her down but still she did not let go and Klaus knew that she was allowing herself to feel that hurt and anger that came with her father's abandonment all those years ago.

He wasn't the comforting type but with Caroline it was almost like second nature. He sat down on the bed with her and tightened his hold and gently stroked her hair and let her cry on his shoulder. He may not have the right words to say, but he could at least offer her that. After what felt like hours, when in reality it was only minutes, she finally pulled back and looked at him through tear-filled eyes and almost smiled when she felt him bring up his hand to wipe the stray tears away.

"What can I do to help you with this love?" he asked in a voice that was so raw with honesty Caroline felt like she could cry again.

This time she was able to give a small smile as she brought her hand up to caress his face.

"You've always been so concerned and willing to help me, even since before we became friends," she said gently, recalling how he had offered to go bungee jumping with her when she was still hostile towards him and many other instances.

"What wouldn't I do for you love?" he asked, with that same honesty as before and she could see it in his eyes that were currently piercing into her own and making her heart accelerate.

She shook her head with a small laugh.

"What?" he asked in confusion,

"It's almost not fair when you say things like that in your accent and smoldering eyes," she answered with a soft sigh and he saw her try to smile.

"What are you talking about love?" he asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

She gave him an almost incredulous look.

"You know it was because you used to say things like that, that I had a crush on you?" she asked with a smile that almost appeared sad.

He felt like his heart suddenly stopped and he felt himself freeze. Now it was he who looked at her almost incredulously, like he didn't believe what she was saying but then he saw her cheeks grow rosy.

"Don't worry, I don't anymore," she said quickly as she drew her hand back. "Don't listen to me, I'm tired, I think I drank more than the legal limit and am kind of an emotional wreck with daddy issues," she added with a small laugh that sounded almost uncomfortable, cursing herself for admitting that to _him_ of all people. She had taken pride in the fact that she had never told anyone and of course she chose tonight to finally reveal that secret. Obviously tonight's events were affecting her in more than just one way.

"When did you…" he started, cursing his voice for faltering when he needed it most. He met her gaze, trying to see what he could find in it.

"It was a long time ago. Before Tyler," she admitted in a painfully shy voice, but keeping her gaze on his. She eyed him curiously for a moment. "You honestly didn't know?"

He slowly shook his head, desperately trying to find his voice.

"You hid it well," he answered thickly, a million thoughts racing through his mind at once.

She gave him a small laugh but he could hear something else lurking underneath, something he couldn't identify.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked in a voice that felt unlike his own. _Why wait until now?_

"Because what we had, what we have, is more important than some crush," she answered in a tight voice, finally looking away from him.

She felt him gently tilt her chin to face him and meet his gaze again. She didn't say anything; _she couldn't say anything_. All she could feel was her heart accelerating so fast in her chest she was sure it would pop out at any given moment. She felt her breathing grow shallow and she didn't know if it was this or the alcohol that was making her feel dizzy all of a sudden. She could feel his warm hand on her face and feel his thumb lightly stroking her chin. And then he was looking at her. He was looking at her like he had at the party earlier, like he could _really _see her. She lost the ability to process anything and her body took up a mind of its own. She felt her hand reach up to his face and then she leaned in…

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**Thank you for reading everyone! When I originally wrote the chapter my main focus was primarily on Caroline's father returning, the emotions that would bring and what that meant for her because this will have serious implications for Caroline and her family. Everything else kind of took a life of it's own and it felt right but it was definitely tricky to write it in which is why I was nervous and rewrote things several times. Please don't hate me for where I left it off next update will be up by the end of the week I promise! This chapter kind of a big stepping stone for Klaroline so please bear with me I promise I'm not trying to tease everyone for years, I think our poor shipper hearts got enough of that with the canon :( This & next chapter also mark a turning point in the story so be prepared for that. Please let me know what you guys think, I love hearing what you guys have to say! Thank you!**


	10. Chapter 10-Fear

**Hello everyone! My apologies for the late update especially after I promised I would have this up sooner but unfortunately my husband had to be taken in for an emergency procedure so I didn't really have my head focused on anything else but thankfully he's home with me now & doing so much better! :) I wanted to thank MsCindz, Cathalinaheart, 4everKlaroline, fallenfirefly92, MrsLeaMorgan, Mystery Girl3, shiwiii, Guests & Marina for your reviews & to everyone who followed & faved! I love reading all your reactions & all your predictions so please keep them coming :) From the bottom of this amateur writer's heart I want to say THANK YOU! I'm nervous for this chapter but here it is. Anyway, please forgive any errors I didn't catch & hope you enjoy :)**

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"_**All my life  
**__**Been running from a pain in me  
**__**A feeling I don't understand  
**__**Holding me down…"**_

* * *

Caroline had no idea how the conversation had ended up with her confessing she previously had a crush on her best friend to said best friend. Next thing she knew, she felt her breathing grow shallow, her heart pounding so hard in her chest she was sure he could hear it. She could feel his warm hand on her face and feel his thumb lightly stroking her chin. She had made the mistake of looking up and meeting his gaze and that's when she lost the ability to process anything anymore. She felt her hand move of its own volition up to cradle his face and then she felt herself lean in and before she could process what was happening or gage his reaction, she felt her lips brush ever so softly against his. It was only a feathery light kiss but from the moment she felt their lips touch, she felt like something stirred inside of her, something she had never felt before. She heard a soft gasp escape him as she slowly pulled back enough to look at his lips intently, gently caressing his bottom lip with her thumb once briefly before she brought down her lips against his again, this time more firmly, allowing them to grow reacquainted with one another after so long.

His lips were exactly as she remembered them from the kiss they had shared all those years ago, velvety soft and warm against hers. They moved gently and tentatively against hers, softly massaging them; every fiber in her being felt like it was being ignited after being dormant for so long and suddenly she felt the need to feel him closer. She tightened her hold on his face and moved closer to him as she felt one of his hands move up to cup her face and the other move down to wrap around her waist. She brought up a hand to meet his, her smaller one against his larger and calloused one. She reveled in the warmth of his body, his soft touch on her face and the feel of his arm wrapped around her like she never had before. Her body curled into his as he held her tighter and she couldn't help but think that being like this with him felt safe and natural, _it felt strangely right. _She slightly parted her lips, softly running her tongue along his bottom lip, causing his lips to part too in response. His mouth molded over hers as she deepened the kiss and she heard a soft moan escape him when she tasted the sweet taste of his tongue with her own. He tightened his hold around her and pulled her in closer to the point that she was practically sitting on his lap and she responded by tightening her grip in his curls. She felt like she was on fire and suddenly it stopped.

"Caroline…" she heard him gasp breathlessly as she felt him move back and remove his hands from her face and around her waist.

She looked up at him confused, her mind still spinning from what had just occurred and her body demanding more, but then she saw the pained and torn expression that covered his features. They then heard the front door open, effectively bringing them both back to reality.

"Care you home?" Kitty called out.

"Umm yeah…I'm in here," Caroline stammered as she looked away from him, feeling like a cold bucket of water had suddenly been poured over her and drenched her to her bones. _What did I do?_

She couldn't get herself to look at him again but she felt him get up quickly from the bed and heard him clear his throat tensely and a little awkwardly.

"I should leave you two alone. I'm sure you have a lot to discuss," Klaus said in a tight voice.

She was thinking about what she could say to him right then when she heard Kitty's footsteps reach her door and before she even had the opportunity to even open her mouth, she saw him turn and leave quickly, muttering a quick hello to Kitty as he rushed past her. She felt a sudden ache in her chest as she saw him make his escape without another word to her.

"What was that about?" Kitty asked a little bewilderedly as soon as she heard him shut the door.

"I don't know," Caroline almost whispered looking toward the place where Klaus had been sitting just moments ago.

She looked down to her knees and swallowed thickly, fighting back the tears that were suddenly threatening to appear and trying not to think about the tingling sensation she felt on her swollen lips. _What have I done?_

"Care what's wrong? Did you and Klaus get into a fight?" Kitty asked softly, sitting down on the bed next to her.

Caroline almost wanted to laugh in frustration as she thought about how to answer her sister. No, they hadn't gotten into a fight although that may have been preferable at the moment. _ She had kissed him and then he could not get away from her fast enough._ This thought stung more than she had anticipated and she felt the tears form in her eyes.

"Care?" she heard Kitty repeat as she shook her head and hastily wiped the tears away.

She finally looked up at Kitty and was surprised when she saw her sister's red and puffy eyes, the faint tear streaks still on her face.

"Kitty what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

Kitty responded with a forced and sad smile.

"No fair I asked you first," she responded in a voice that sounded painstakingly sad.

Caroline quickly shook her head, her concerns suddenly not as important as she saw her sister like this.

"I'm fine. Tell me what's wrong?" she pleaded in a gentle voice.

Kitty looked at her unconvinced but the fresh tears formed in her eyes and she looked away.

"Kitty talk to me," Caroline pleaded in a louder voice, hating to see her sister this way.

"After mom called with the news about Bill I knew I had to tell David everything. I couldn't keep it from him anymore," she answered in a voice so low it was almost a whisper.

"How did he take it?" Caroline asked tensely, her entire body stiff in anticipation and because of the memory of how Klaus had reacted when she told him.

The thought of Klaus caused an array of emotions suddenly surge through her and she had to fight them off so she could focus on Kitty. She knew she would have to deal with what had happened with him at some point but not now.

"He was upset, rightfully so you know it's a lot to take in and I did keep it from him," she said in a tight voice.

"He just needs time to process it Kitty, he'll get over it. He loves you and I'm sure this is all hard for him," Caroline said as she tightened her hold over Kitty's hand reassuringly.

"He said the same thing, that he needed time but I don't know Care….you didn't see the look in his eyes it was almost like…I just have a bad feeling," Kitty replied in a thick voice, the tears flooding her eyes again.

"It is a lot to take in but if he loves you like I'm sure he does, he'll come around once he time to process everything," she tried to reassure her, although she felt a little bit of fear herself. Would his love for Kitty not be enough to warrant him to stay with her?

"I would give anything to go back to my life a few weeks ago," Kitty responded in a voice that seemed distant.

Caroline looked at her sister and pulled her into a tight hug, feeling a mixture of emotions and as she held her sister, she felt the tears sting in her eyes as she looked up and prayed desperately that they could catch a break.

"Me too," Caroline whispered through silent tears.

They both ended up lying down on the bed like they used to when they were little girls and were scared of the monsters lurking in the dark. They would sleep close to each other, finding comfort and strength in the presence of the other knowing they would protect one another. Now as adults, they lied there finding the same strength and comfort as they faced a whole new set of monsters. After a while, Kitty drifted off to sleep but Caroline lied there, thinking about Klaus and Bill and she knew that sleep would be evading her that night.

* * *

Klaus drove around aimlessly for a long time, trying to process what had happened that night but it was hard to focus on any one thing when his mind was racing with a million thoughts. She had admitted to him that she had feelings that crossed the boundaries of friendship at some point during their relationship, something he was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around. When she had looked at him after he brought her chin up, he got momentarily lost in her, busy committing every detail about her kind face and tender gaze to his memory. He thought about how his heart seemed to stop in his chest and his voice disappeared like a puff of smoke when he saw her lean in. He wanted to pull away at that moment, sure that she was not thinking clearly but when her lips touched his, his will dissolved and as her lips moved more firmly against his, his body reacted and rejoiced in being able to kiss her the way he had particularly yearned to do so that day at the bridge. He got lost in the memory of their kiss, the feel of her lips against his and the kiss itself. He had kissed her once before but there was something different about this kiss, a level of intimacy that hadn't been there before and there was also something else he couldn't quite identify at the moment. He wondered if she felt it too.

He finally ended up driving home after he considered going to the bar he normally frequented but the thought of Caroline sitting on her floor clutching the bottle brought back painful memories of many times that she had to see him that way and had to look after him. There was one memory in particular that stood out from the rest from a few years back, a painful memory he tried to ignore as much as he could but that had been in the back of his mind since he saw her trying to drink her sorrows away.

_Caroline charged into the small bar and even from where he was sitting, he could see that she was angry but he was momentarily distracted by her appearance. She had her hair down in lose curls, subtle makeup that enhanced her eyes, and she was wearing a black halter dress and black heels. Even in his drunken state he could appreciate that she looked stunning. He clenched his teeth in anger when he heard other men wolf-whistle and cat-call at her like she was some piece of meat but it seemed her anger was only directed at one man in particular: him._

"_It's good to hear from you after so many weeks. Let me tell you, nothing makes my day like receiving drunken calls from you," she said angrily as soon as she reached him._

_Klaus winced a little at her words and tone but quickly recovered. He knew when he called her that he was risking facing her wrath but when he saw her name under his contacts, he couldn't resist the urge and called her anyway. _

"_You look absolutely ravishing sweetheart where were you tonight? I'm assuming I didn't pull you away from a night of lounging?" he asked with a smirk that only seemed to infuriate her more._

"_No as a matter of fact I was on a date I had to cut short so I could come get you," she snapped, the anger evident in her voice and eyes. "Oh how I missed doing this with you," she added bitingly._

"_You were on a date at this hour?" he asked with a frown. It was rather late and he couldn't help but wonder what he had interrupted. "I wasn't even aware that you were dating," he added with a deeper frown as this realization hit him._

"_No you didn't because in order for you to know that or know anything about what's going on in my life, that would require you to return phone calls and oh I don't know, _talk _to me," she responded in the same angry tone as before but he could hear the hurt underneath it._

_He winced again, feeling guilty all of a sudden. It was true, he hadn't answered or returned any of her calls in over a month nor had he answered the door the few times that she had gone to his apartment. In his defense, he wasn't just ignoring her; he was ignoring everybody._

"_Who were you on a date with?" he asked, ignoring the last thing she said because he didn't really know how to address that just yet and also because he was genuinely burning to know. The thought of her on a date with some faceless stranger made his insides boil but he knew he didn't have a right to say anything to her. They were only friends even if he had wanted so much more from her in the beginning. He had learned to suppress those feelings because it meant keeping her in his life in at least some way. _

_She looked at him with an incredulous expression, appearing even angrier than she was before which was not something he thought was possible._

"_Seriously? That's all you have to say to me? After weeks of ignoring me for no reason other than because you felt like it or because you were mad at me or were getting tired of me I don't know, you're not even going to address it? If you don't want to be around me fine but that's all you had to say and then I wouldn't have made an ass out myself trying to reach out to you," she almost yelled stepping closer to him as she did._

"_You don't know what you're talking about," he responded calmly though inside he was starting to grow rather irritated. How could she think that he would ever grow tired of her?_

"_Really?" she asked raising her eyebrows. "Well why don't you enlighten me then?" _

_He groaned and motioned for the bartender to come over so that he could get his keys back._

"_Now is not the time or place to talk about this love," he answered tensely._

"_I don't see why not. This may be the only opportunity I get to talk to you for the next couple of months so why not take advantage?" she said bitingly, crossing her arms over chest and arching her eyebrow the way she did when she was annoyed or angry._

"_Caroline," he warned as he turned to look at her, irritation written on his face. "We can discuss this later."_

_She scoffed and shook her head angrily as she took the keys from the bartender and walked toward the exit without another word to him. He sighed and somehow managed to work his out on his own without stumbling over. He found her standing right by the door, her arms still crossed over her chest and her features set in anger._

"_Where did you park?" she asked in a cold voice, only glancing at him before looking away again._

"_Don't be angry love. It's been a few weeks since we've seen each other. Do you really want our reunion to be like this?" he asked with a trace of a smirk._

"_If you want me to drive you home I need to know where you parked your car," she repeated in that same tone as before._

"_Honestly Caroline, I thought you would've been more excited to see me. Is this because I pulled you away from your date? Doesn't the rule 'bros before hoes' apply in our friendship as well?" he asked sarcastically._

"_You are unbelievable! But I'm not doing this with you, you said you didn't want to talk so we're not talking," she snapped and he saw her chin quiver._

_He looked away guiltily before responding, "I'm parked this way."_

_They both walked in a silent tension that only seemed to double when they got in his car. It was almost suffocating but neither one said anything the entire drive. When she parked in his complex, he was sure she would leave right then but was surprised when she walked with him to his door. He was thinking about what to say to her while she unlocked the door but was surprised when she opened his door and stepped back, handing him the keys and turning to walk away. He quickly reached out and stopped by her by gently grabbing her arm. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and irritation, her expression silently demanding answers._

"_Don't leave yet…just stay with me a little bit longer," he managed to say in a voice that felt unlike his own. Truthfully, he hadn't realized just how much he had missed her until he saw her that night and the thought of having to see her leave so soon pained him._

"_Why?" she asked in a small voice, meeting his gaze._

"_Because I want you to," he answered her honestly, looking at her intently, hoping she could see the pleading in them without him having to say it out loud. He needed her he just didn't know how to say that out loud to her._

_She let out a sigh and gave him an almost imperceptible nod, following him inside silently. _

"_Can I offer you a drink?" he asked as he walked over to his small bar._

"_No thank you and I think you should lay off of it for the rest of tonight too," she answered as she saw him reach for a glass._

_He gave her a look before putting the empty glass down on the counter. He watched her awkwardly standing there, tension obvious in her shoulders. He hated that it was like this between them, it hadn't been this way before._

"_Have a seat," he offered tensely as he walked over to sit on the couch. He saw her hesitate and felt a frown take over. "Caroline what's wrong?" he asked looking up at her._

_She gave him an incredulous look and arched her eyebrow as she glared at him._

"_I think we both know perfectly well what's wrong. You don't talk to me in weeks and suddenly we're just supposed to hang out like nothing happened and everything is fine?" she asked. "And speaking of not fine, why do you insist on getting so wasted that you're stumbling into your apartment every other night with some random stranger?"_

"_Somebody's been keeping tabs on me," he responded with an arched eyebrow and a small smirk. Why did she mention his random hookups? She never had in the past. _

"_I was concerned about you so I asked Stefan, somebody who you've also been ignoring. I know you haven't talked to your family either so it seems like the only individuals lucky enough to be have you direct a word at them are those women you pick up at the bar," she said with a hint of anger in her voice._

"_That's twice now that you've mentioned my affairs with these women. What's the matter love? Are you jealous?" he smirked._

_She looked at him like he had just slapped her and he could swear at that moment he had never seen her angrier._

"_You know what? Forget it," she responded in a quiet but angry voice before she turned to walk away but he stopped her once more._

"_Caroline-"_

"_No! This is all some big joke to you while I've been worried about you for weeks! But this is it I am done! I put up with your behavior because I know you're going through a horrible circumstance but I'm done making excuses for you and picking you up from bars late at night when you're too drunk to drive yourself home! I am done cleaning up after you and helping you get off the floor when you're so drunk you can't even get into bed by yourself. I've had to do that with somebody else in the past and I refuse to do it again with you!" she yelled through angry tears._

_He was speechless for a moment, caught between a mixture of guilt, shame, hurt and finally anger at the thought that she was giving up on him. She was giving up on him just like everyone eventually did._

"_Well it took you long enough," he responded snidely as he stepped away from her and walked straight to the bar, ignoring the glass and going straight for the bottle. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."_

_She opened her mouth a little, her expression torn between disappointment and fury and didn't say anything for a few moments. He didn't say anything, simply watching her out of the corner of his eye as he continued to indulge in the expensive whiskey._

"_The night I met you I thought you were a selfish, self-absorbed and pretentious ass that was inconsiderate about anyone's feelings but your own," she said in a low voice that quivered because of her anger. "I thought I was wrong but you're definitely showing me."_

"_Easy there love. Those are some big words are you sure you know what they mean?" he sneered, still looking straight ahead. He didn't want to turn to face her; he knew he was being petty but he didn't care at the moment. He was hurt and he was reacting in the only way he knew how._

_He half-expected her to yell some more or maybe even be angry enough that she would walk out that door and out of his life. She had already said she was doing as much anyway. What he didn't anticipate was her walking over to his small bar and dropping a bottle of liquor into the sink, followed by another, each smashing into small pieces and the contents of the bottle spilling everywhere. She was reaching to grab another when he took her wrist in his hand._

"_What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, looking into her eyes angrily. He removed his grip from her wrist when she angrily yanked her arm back but kept looking at her with the same anger in his eyes._

"_What are you doing?" she bellowed. "Are you just going to drink the rest of your life away and push away everyone that cares about you?"_

"_Now that doesn't sound like a bad idea," he responded sarcastically as he took a step back and took another drink from the bottle he was holding._

"_Why are you doing this? I am trying to reach out to you despite the ass you've been these last few weeks and you still can't get out of your own way!" she yelled through angry tears as she stepped in front of him. _

"_That's because I don't need you or anyone else!" he yelled back, angry tears starting to sting his eyes._

_She looked at him with a mixture of sadness and fury and he had to look away._

"_This isn't you Klaus. I know what you're going through is-" she started in a softer tone but was cut off._

"_Don't try to psychoanalyze me Caroline. This is exactly who I am, sorry to disappoint you sweetheart," he said through clenched teeth, still refusing to look at her._

"_You're right, I am disappointed because instead of dealing with your problems and emotions you're lashing out-" she started._

"_You don't know anything about what I'm dealing with!" he yelled angrily, finally turning to face her only to see her face flush with anger as well._

"_Yeah because you've made sure that I don't! You've pushed me away at every turn since your brother died and you've made sure to push everyone else away too!" she yelled back before turning away from him._

_He felt his chest tighten and his entire body go cold as he heard her words. The words he had been dreading to hear again since the day he got the news…He felt his breathing grow shallow and for a moment, he felt like his head was spinning. His brother's death wasn't news to him. It was the reason he had been living in his own personal hell for the past few weeks so why did it feel like his heart was being pulled out of his chest when he heard her words? _

_Neither one said anything for a long time and it was only when he saw her reach up to wipe a tear away that he realized she was crying. He didn't say anything for a while longer, lost in his thoughts and trying to think of the right words to say._

"_I know I'm being an ass and I know don't have any excuses for how I've treated you or anyone else…" he trailed off, the knot in his throat making it impossible for him to speak. _

_She turned to look at him, the tears still streaming silently down her face._

"_You don't deserve anything that I've put you through and I'm sorry that I did, especially you," he almost whispered. _

"_I'm not trying to make you feel guilty Klaus but I can't keep doing this," she said in a low voice, wiping some of the tears away. "You're my best friend and I love you but I'm not going to stand by and watch you slowly fall apart and run your life to the ground."_

"_I think it's too late for that love," he answered in a voice that sounded as empty as he felt._

"_No it's not," she argued as she stepped closer to him and met his gaze. "Don't take the easy way out. You giving up on yourself and lashing out at everyone that tries to help you is a copout and you know it." When he didn't say anything, she continued, "They say you shouldn't pity the dead but the living because we're the ones that are stuck here having to pick up the pieces and continue with our lives. I don't think you'll ever stop feeling his loss but you can't shut yourself off from the world, it's not what he would want for you. It's not what any of us want for you… I want to help you carry this load Klaus you just have to let me in."_

_He couldn't help himself and closed the distance between them as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and breathing in her flowery and intoxicating scent he had missed so much. When he felt her wrap her arms around him too, it was like something inside of him broke and he was suddenly faced with all the grief he had been ignoring for over a month. He felt the tears sting his eyes but this time he didn't have the energy to fight them off. The first tear ran down his face, quickly followed by another and soon he felt himself succumb to the pain he had been holding at bay for the past few weeks but he felt surprisingly free. He welcomed the grief that crushed through him, threatening to cripple him and destroy him but for the first time in a long time, he wasn't afraid to fall apart. When he felt her wrap her arms around him even more tightly and bring up a hand to run through his hair, he knew he wasn't alone. Despite all he had done, he still had her, the light to his never-ending darkness. In that moment, he felt like he was coming home, only he was coming to a home he had never known before, a home he had never thought possible. He held her tight, clinging to her like a dying man clings to life and that was the moment he knew he never wanted to live without her again._

He felt a range of emotions course through him as he recalled that night. He tried not to think about that part of his life because despite how much time had passed, his younger brother's death still hurt like it had only happened yesterday. Everything had slowly changed after that night with Caroline and he slowly got his life back on track. Everything changed in their relationship after that night as well. He had been sure he was going to lose her for good that night but instead, he found their friendship was stronger than ever and there was a new level of intimacy between them as well.

As all of these thoughts crossed his mind he eventually felt himself succumbing to the exhaustion of all that had occurred. The memories of that painful night brought up other unresolved issues and feelings and he knew he needed an outlet. He turned to look at the bottle of scotch sitting on his counter before he sighed in frustration and walked away toward the room he occupied as his art studio, the same room he had spent most of the week in with her.

He walked straight toward an empty canvas and grabbed the first paint colors he saw, blue and black. He started throwing color on the canvas, not thinking about drawing anything in particular, each stroke serving as an outlet to the frustration and confusion he was feeling. Each stroke allowed him a moment of clarity, each stroke helped him think about what was going on with Caroline and the possibility of her disease, what her words meant to him when she confessed her feelings for him in the past, what he felt when they kissed, _why he kissed her back_, and why he pulled away and panicked. The memories of that night after his brother's death also brought up feelings he had never dealt with. When he was finally finished, he looked up from the canvas and noticed that it had gotten significantly lighter outside. He looked back at his work and let out a sigh, not surprised to see Caroline's face painted on there staring back at him with sad and confused eyes, the look he had seen in them since she found out about her father. Even in his element, his outlet, she haunted him and as he stared at the painting he realized that she haunted just about every area of his life, a beacon of light and a reminder of what he could never hope to have.

He worked his way back to his room and lied on his bed, waiting for sleep to overtake him, knowing she would be haunting his dreams too.

* * *

_Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight_

_Just a touch of the fire burning so bright_

Caroline awoke to a start to the sound of Kitty's phone going off loudly somewhere in the room.

_No I don't want to mess this thing up_

_I don't want to push too far_

"Kitty!" Caroline groaned. She had not gotten much sleep, thinking about Bill and the kiss she shared with Klaus the night before. _I spent the night thinking about the two men that literally ran away from me_ she thought in frustration. As she heard Kitty's phone continue going off she felt even more irritated as she heard the lyrics. It was like the universe was making fun of her for her foolish move. _Seriously, Never. Drinking. Again. Ever._

Kitty came scrambling into the room to shut off her phone but by that point, the phone finally stopped. Caroline picked up her phone from her nightstand, trying to convince herself she was not checking for any messages from Klaus but she knew that was a lie. That's exactly who she wanted to hear from after staying up half the night thinking about him. She was disappointed when she saw that she had no notifications and she felt that nagging feeling of rejection sting her again. She knew she shouldn't be angry with him, if anything, he should be mad at her for kissing him. _But he kissed me back…and then he ran! Did he regret it? Why did I kiss him?_ Those last two questions had kept her up most of the night and she felt like all she did was go in circles, not having any more clarity on the situation.

She quickly shoved her phone back onto the nightstand and rolled over back to bed in frustration, having every intention of remaining under those covers until her body desiccated or a nuclear war killed them all. _Not that I'm feeling dramatic or anything._ She huffed into her pillow as her thoughts rushed back to the night before. She had been so preoccupied with everything going on with Klaus that she had effectively distracted herself from another pressing issue even if only for a while: Bill's sudden return.

"Care you okay?" Kitty asked tentatively as she noticed that Caroline had rolled back into bed and had buried herself in her large comforter.

"Just peachy," she answered from underneath the heavy blanket. "When Stella calls later asking for me, please tell her I'm permanently confined to the four walls of this room."

Yup, she was definitely in a drama queen type of mood but she was honestly too exhausted to care, not just physically exhausted but emotionally and mentally as well. She groaned when she felt the warmth of her comforter suddenly removed and saw Kitty sitting next to her instead.

"Okay dramatics, let's talk about it. What's bothering you? Is this about Klaus or about…Bill coming back?" Kitty asked tensely.

"He's really back?" Caroline asked in a tight voice feeling like she was in the first stage of grief with this situation. The denial. Part of her still didn't believe it; part of her didn't want to.

Kitty solemnly nodded her head, effectively eliminating all of Caroline's doubts.

"I'm sorry Care, it wasn't fair for me to just spring that on you last night-" Kitty started.

"You have nothing to apologize for Kitty I'm glad you told me. It's not exactly the news I was expecting from you when you called but I needed to know this," Caroline reassured her as she slowly sat on the bed to better face her.

"How are you handling it?" Kitty asked her seriously.

"I think I'm recycling through stages 1 & 2 right now," Caroline answered grimly.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?" Kitty asked with a quizzical look.

"Stages of grief. I keep alternating between denial & anger," she explained with a tense laugh.

Kitty looked at her and nodded her head in agreement. "Looks like we're in the same boat then."

"What do we do Kitty?" Caroline asked as she released a long sigh. She was tired of so many unexpected surprises lately that had been far from pleasant ones.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It's not like we have to make a decision right now do we?"

"Nope I guess we don't. I mean, we did wait fourteen years for him to make any kind of decision that involved us," Caroline said bitterly.

They sat in silence for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts.

"So in lieu of not making any decisions today, how do you feel about making a small trip with me to the city and getting our favorite crepes and taking that outdoors yoga class? Maybe we could grab an early lunch before we head back?" Kitty asked with a hint of a small smile.

"Stella's making me go in later today to do fittings for the models they're using for this campaign," she explained guiltily. "But we can always grab an early lunch in town and we can cook dinner here just the two of us?"

"Sounds like a plan," Kitty replied with a smile.

Caroline sighed, finally accepting that she couldn't lock herself up in her room forever and truthfully, she was in much better sprits after her talk with Kitty and was looking forward to their plans.

She glanced at her phone again and contemplated calling Klaus but decided against it for numerous reasons, the most prominent one being that she didn't even know how to address him at the moment. What would she say to him? _Sorry I kissed you last night but hey, how about we not make this awkward? Oh and don't worry, it totally didn't hurt my feelings at all that you practically ran away after it happened. Nope, this isn't going to be awkward at all._

She shook her head in frustration and quickly got out of bed, refusing to sit lingering on these thoughts the entire day. She was going out with her sister and then she was going to work and she was going to enjoy it. There would be no drama as far as she could help it.

Later that day Caroline worked her way into the office building, making her way to her work area where she would be fitting and measuring the models. She was surprisingly in good spirits after her morning with Kitty. They had gotten into a painful conversation about Bill but the conversation ended up turning around to their memories of Rob and doing things like building the tree house with him and carving their names into the tree. She was caught up in her thoughts and it was not until she saw a familiar brunette sifting through her sketches that she remembered that Katherine was one of the models she would be fitting. Caroline had to practically beg Stella to let her pick someone but she had finally caved.

"Hey Katherine," Caroline greeted with a smile, thankful that Katherine had shown up. She had been reluctant when Caroline had first called her.

"These are some fancy designs you have going here Care. I think I want you to be my own personal designer," Katherine said with a smirk.

"You sure you can afford me?" Caroline teased as she walked over to her desk and set her stuff down. She pulled out her measuring tape along with the fabric she would be using to make the dress Katherine was going to wear and some pins.

"Well now that I'm going to be some fancy model, I don't see why not," Katherine smirked. "I can start by paying for your drinks tonight at the bar. It's Karaoke night and if I remember correctly, that's your favorite," she added with a mischievous smile.

"Ugh don't bring that up!" Caroline replied with a mortified laugh as she recalled the night Katherine was talking about.

"Which song did you dedicate to Tyler again?" Katherine asked with a devious smirk. "More like _songs. _I remember Klaus had to literally carry you off the stage so that other people could get a turn."

The mention of Tyler and Klaus caused her to stiffen but she tried to play it off hoping Katherine hadn't noticed.

"Sorry, still too soon to talk about Tyler?" Katherine asked, for once being serious.

"No, it's practically been a year. I've moved on and I hope he's doing well," Caroline answered honestly.

It was true, the thought of Tyler didn't hurt her anymore the way it used to nor did she think she still had any feelings for him. Klaus was right, one day she had woken up and realized she had moved on without realizing it before. It was the memory of one of her last fights with Tyler that caused her to stiffen. Tyler had always been jealous of the time she spent with Klaus and had never understood their relationship. He would always insist that Klaus was in love with her but she was too blind to see it. Their last fight had resulted in him issuing her an ultimatum: she either picked him or Klaus. When she made it clear she would not pick, he seemed to back down but shortly after, he told her he was moving across the country for a job. To this day she wondered if that fight had led to him taking the job and leaving her. She never told Klaus about any of this because she didn't want to involve him and also because she didn't want him to think she held it against him or wonder if she regretted not picking. She didn't regret anything about that night or how things played out because Klaus was a very important part of her life and she wouldn't leave him behind because somebody asked her to. She sighed as she thought of Klaus again, not sure how to handle this whole situation with him and mention of Tyler made her wonder what he would think about the whole thing.

"So why the reaction? Is something going with you and Klaus?" Katherine asked her suspiciously.

Caroline froze for a fraction of a second and had to fight back the color rushing to her face.

"No why would you say that?" she tried to ask nonchalantly though her fingers were suddenly unsteady because of her nerves. _Katherine is the LAST person I want to talk about what happened._

"You're such a crappy liar Caroline Forbes it's why you always lost at poker and 'bullshit' and sorry but I'm calling bullshit on your answer. What the hell is going on with you two?" Katherine asked with that same mischievous smile as before, closely eyeing her for any reaction.

"Nothing is going on Katherine now turn around so that I can get your measurements," Caroline answered with an eye roll.

Katherine gave her a defiant look and crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched her closely for a moment.

"Now I know something is going on. Did you two finally get a little more than friendly with each other?" she asked with a wicked grin. "Oh my God you did! What did you two do?" she exclaimed as she eyed Caroline's reaction and saw how she turned two shades deeper.

"Katherine we are here to work so turn around so that I can get this done! Stella will be here soon and I don't want her to think the only reason I brought you here was so that we could chat it up," Caroline answered her as she fought desperately to reel her nerves and heart rate under control.

"Whatever you say boss but we are so not done talking about this," Katherine replied with a smug smile.

"I'm not your boss, I'm simply the girl sticking pins all over your sides so I suggest you not get on my nerves," Caroline answered with a small smile to let her know she was joking. _Half-joking anyway. If she brought up Klaus again…_

"And here I thought you were the girl who was pining after what you can't have, like my boyfriend," came a snarky voice from behind her.

Caroline quickly turned around and felt her blood boil as soon as she saw the source of the voice.

"Tatia," Caroline said her name coldly, her name leaving a bad taste in her mouth. She had to refrain from saying what exactly was on her mind. _I didn't realize we were resorting to hiring whores._

Just then, Stella came in with two other models whom Caroline would also be fitting that day.

"Caroline I'm glad you're here. Not all of our regular models could work this campaign so we had to hire some new ones. This is Tatia and April and you know Anna. This is your friend Katherine I'm assuming?" Stella said as she looked at Katherine who was busy eyeing Tatia with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, nice to meet you," Katherine said tearing her eyes away from Tatia to shake Stella's hand.

"Oh Caroline and I already know each other," Tatia said in a sweet voice that made Caroline feel nauseous.

"Oh what a small world," Stella responded with a smile looking at the two of them. "Have you two worked together before?"

"No we haven't had the pleasure right Caroline? We met because she was my boyfriend's _friend_," she said in a voice that was calm but Caroline could hear the viciousness underneath it.

"I think you mean _ex-boyfriend_ and I assure you I'm still his _best _friend," Caroline said calmly with a smile that was so forced her muscles actually protested the gesture. _At least, I hope I am._

Stella cleared her throat awkwardly, redirecting the attention back to the task at hand but nobody could deny the tension that had befallen the room.

"Well ladies, I look forward to working with all of you. Caroline is my right-hand in this entire business so you will all be working closely with her and I for these next few weeks leading up to our trip to Hawaii where we'll have the shoots," Stella said brightly, choosing to ignore the tension that was obviously present. She didn't know the story but she didn't need to. They were all professionals and they would all act like it.

Caroline had to fight every fiber to keep from groaning out loud at this last bit of news. She already knew her entire resolve was about to be tested and as she saw the way Katherine was eyeing Tatia, the dislike clear on her face, she knew that's indeed what was about to happen. _I just hope I still have my career at the end of these next few weeks _she thought darkly to herself.

* * *

Klaus awoke with a start at the sound of his phone going off. He looked over to see who was calling and rolled his eyes when he saw that it was Elijah. He ignored the call and buried his head underneath his pillows, it was late but considering the scarce sleep he had gotten the last two nights, he had no intention of getting out of that bed. Shortly after, he got a notification saying that he had a voicemail however. He grudgingly listened to the message and was not surprised to hear that it was about his case. Klaus sighed out in irritation; he had been dealing with the lawyers every other day to discuss his case and his options and it was really infuriating him how Elijah kept trying to coddle him like a child about the whole thing. He had received a call from one of his lawyers the day before notifying him that they had apparently reached some type of agreement with Marcel. He would be going down to their offices later that day to discuss it but something about this meeting was making him uneasy, he had a bad feeling and he couldn't explain why.

Feeling frustrated again he decided he was going to take a shower and spend his day in his studio, still fighting to clear his head. When he got out, he was surprised to see that he had another two missed calls from Elijah but his curiosity was forgotten when he saw he had a missed call and voicemail from Caroline. It seemed like a mixture of everything that had happened in the last two days after their kiss affected him and made his entire body feel tense as he slowly brought the phone up to his ear to hear the message.

"_Hey Klaus, I was just calling to check in on you. Sorry I didn't call sooner I just figured you needed some space after what happened the other night… something we definitely have to talk about so call me when you get the chance? Bye."_

He instantly felt his chest tighten when he heard her mention the other night. Had it really been two days since it happened? It seemed like the last two days had been a blur between getting lost in his thoughts and his art. He had thought about calling her a few times but something stopped him every time he reached for the phone or contemplated driving to her house. He wasn't ignorant; he knew she was avoiding him too. What was she going to say about it? Was she going to say she regretted it? That was one thing he had determined early on after they kissed, he definitely did not regret it. His only regret was that it happened the way it did. But how could he tell her that? He shook his head, deciding it best not to return her call just yet. Besides, this isn't something he wanted to discuss on the phone with her anyway. He walked down to his studio and looked at the painting he had made of Caroline before he started on another, channeling all his frustration and confusion into his work. The world and all his problems would have to wait.

He was so caught up in his work that he was startled when he heard the sound of his doorbell. He didn't get many visitors so he didn't know whom it could be and honestly, he wasn't in the mood for visitors at the moment. He walked quietly to the door so as not to alert whoever was on the other side. Just as he was nearing the door, he heard a loud and firm knock followed by the sound of Elijah's voice calling out his name. Klaus almost groaned out loud. Why couldn't Elijah just leave it alone? He walked silently back toward his small bar and poured himself a drink, listening as Elijah knocked and rang the doorbell a few more times and just when it seemed he had given up, Klaus was surprised to hear voices almost right outside his apartment. He could not make out everything that was being said but he recognized one voice immediately and quickly walked over to the door to hear what was being said.

"It appears we have both missed him I'm afraid," Elijah said.

"Oh," Caroline answered sounding disappointed.

"You wouldn't happen to know where I might be able to reach him?" Elijah asked. "I've tried to reach him several times already but it seems my efforts have all been to no avail."

"Well that makes two of us," she responded.

Klaus winced a little at this, feeling like it was deja-vu to a few years ago all over again.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"I'm afraid some things are rather difficult and I'm concerned my brother is not taking things as seriously as he should be," Elijah answered.

Klaus was tempted to open the door right then and show his brother just how seriously he could take things but refrained when he heard Caroline speak.

"I don't mean to pry but is this about his case?" she asked tentatively. When he didn't answer right away she quickly added, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable telling me. I'm just worried about him too and I get the feeling he's not telling me everything especially after…something I heard today."

He heard Elijah give what sounded like a frustrated chuckle.

"Niklaus seems to have this unnatural ability of keeping others in the dark and pushing them away," Elijah answered.

Klaus felt his chest tighten as he heard his brother's words, hearing the obvious disappointment and dare he say it, _sadness _in them?

"Klaus doesn't like appearing weak in front of others. A Mikaelson trait I'm assuming from what I've seen from all of you," Caroline said.

He heard Elijah chuckle at Caroline's words.

"You obviously know him better than I ever will but I've learned with Klaus that he will push you away every time it gets hard because he hates appearing vulnerable in front of others. But it's when he pushes you the hardest that you need to stand your ground with him because that's when he needs you the most," Caroline said with an intensity in her voice Klaus could not quite identify.

"Pardon my frankness, but Niklaus is truly fortunate to have someone like you by his side," Elijah said sincerely.

"I'm not going anywhere no matter how hard he tries to make me sometimes," Caroline responded, making it sound like a promise and Klaus knew that's exactly what it was.

Klaus stood there silently resting his head against the wall next to the door, hearing the last of their exchange before he heard footsteps fading away. He released a breath he had not been aware he had been holding as he replayed their conversation over in his mind. He walked back toward his studio and stopped in front of the painting he had made of her, staring at it intently as the events from that night and the conversation he had just overheard replayed in his head. He slowly brushed his fingertips over the painting, cursing himself for being so weak and not being able to face Caroline yet. He knew he would have to but he didn't know how to anymore, not after the other night and the feelings he had to face as a result.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he felt the terror consume him, holding him down, as he replayed many memories he had of her and them, some dark and others some of the best he had. He thought back to their conversation when she admitted her feelings to him and he sighed in frustration, a deep exhaustion and fear suddenly penetrating him to his core and taking the fight out of him. _Why didn't you tell me then Caroline? I would have told you I felt the same way… there's a very good chance I still do…_

* * *

**Thanks for reading everyone! So, we've reached a turning point & I can tell you guys I'm honestly nervous for your reactions. I wrote the flashback into this chapter because this is going to be important in some of the upcoming chapters as things will be referenced back to it & also, that was a turning point for Klaus' relationship with Caroline, he just didn't realize how much then. Sorry, I know we've gotten a few flashbacks but they helped me set up where I was going with their relationship and better show how their relationship has developed. We got to see Caroline sort somewhat through the kiss but with all she has going on, she hasn't been able to fully explore that just yet so we will see more of that. I apologize for the lack of present day Klaroline but I assure you next chapter we will definitely be seeing a lot more of them, as they finally face each other after their kiss. Any guesses as to how that will go? Side note: I told you guys that the disease would take center stage again so be prepared for that in the next few chapters. Please let me know what you guys think! :)**


	11. Chapter 11-By Your Side

**A very special thank you to MsCindz, Mystery Girl3, Cathalinaheart, fallenfirefly92, 4everKlaroline, MrsLeaMorgan, Guest, & Marina for your reviews and to everyone who followed & faved! I also wanted to extend an invitation to you guys to check out my other story I just started, "Never Let Me Go" if you guys are interested :) Anyway, I'll cut my note short & let you guys read. As always, please forgive any errors I didn't catch.**

* * *

**_"If you need me  
I can always be found  
__I will stay by your side  
_****_And I want you to find me  
__So I'll stay by your side..._"**

* * *

Klaus got out of his car feeling a range of anxiety and nerves which in and of itself was irritating to him. _Klaus Mikaelson was not the anxious and nervous type. _He tried to get a grip as he walked inside the building where Caroline interned. He had decided to come surprise her for lunch, hoping they could finally have the chance to talk. After the conversation he had overheard the previous day and _much_ thinking on his part, he decided it was about time he and Caroline discussed things. He was tired of this weird avoidance and truthfully he was missing her even though it had only been three days since they had seen each other.

He worked his way inside the building, ignoring the flirtatious looks he got from some of the women as he passed by them. There was only one woman he was interested in seeing; hell there was only one woman he was in interested in period. He could finally admit that much even though it still terrified the hell out of him. It was true that he was still confused about his feelings but he knew one thing for sure: he definitely cared about her beyond the boundaries of friendship. What he came to realize during the last few days after their kiss was that if he looked back, he would find that he always did. He was anxious to see her and he was anxious about how their conversation would go. As all the possibilities ran through his head he began to feel overwhelmed yet again because if he were honest, there was only way that he _really_ wanted the conversation to go.

When he finally reached her small office, he was surprised when he saw a brunette sitting at the desk instead of Caroline. Wondering if he had the wrong office, he cleared his throat and was opening his mouth to speak when the brunette turned around and he was surprised to see it was Katherine.

"Klaus Mikaelson," she said with an amused grin. "Please step into my office."

"Your office?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. What did he miss?

"Nah, just wanted to say that," she with that same grin. "I'm flattered you believed it though."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging on his lips.

"Where's Caroline?" he asked, getting back to the reason he was there.

"You just missed her," she answered with a hint of something he couldn't pinpoint in her voice. "She left a few minutes ago to go have lunch with a friend."

"Oh," he said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

He was contemplating just dropping by her house later but was pulled from his thoughts when Katherine spoke again.

"Although I don't know if you would consider somebody who's obviously looking for so much more than friendship a 'friend'," she added, locking her gaze on his.

He instantly felt his entire body stiffen and his jaw set.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a voice that was oddly calm even though inside he was fuming at the thought of Caroline on a lunch date with some faceless stranger.

"She went to have lunch with Matt," she explained, watching him closely to see his reaction. "He called her this morning and they set their little lunch date up."

"I didn't realize they called each other," he managed to say through the thick knot that had formed in his throat trying to sound as nonchalant as possible even though part of him was demanding Matt's head.

"Yeah, Matt called her after some party to check if she had gotten home okay and called her again this morning," Katherine explained simply, almost like she was talking about the weather.

Klaus took in a deep breath to control himself and reel in his temper but this guy was seriously starting to become a thorn in his side.

"I know where they went," she added just then, bringing him out of his thoughts. "We could always swing by?" she said with a mischievous undertone.

The less rational side of Klaus was already asking for the address but the more logical and rational side of him took a moment to think about it. He knew he _shouldn't_ go and looking at Katherine's obvious interest and amusement in the whole situation only confirmed that thought.

"I'll just have to see her later," he answered, shaking his head almost amused by Katherine's obvious disappointment. _Almost_. The thought of Caroline out to lunch with Matt still bothered him more than he would ever think possible.

"Suit yourself. I would call her ahead of time though, wouldn't want to miss her again because she has other plans with Matt," she said.

He knew exactly what she was doing. She was laying out the bait for him, waiting to see if he would take it. He knew this and he would like to think that he was more evolved than to give in to jealous impulses.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, ignoring the smug smirk that crossed her face.

"Nope and I'm famished," she answered, amusement evident in her voice.

"We should take care of that," he responded with a smirk.

"Yes we should and I know of just the place we can go," she responded with a mischievous smile as she quickly got up and walked out with him close in tow.

* * *

"You are making this up," Caroline laughed as she heard Matt's story while they waited for their food to be brought out.

"Oh I wish I was believe me," Matt said as he shook his head. "The worst part was that they took all the pictures and made a slideshow that they played at our high school graduation."

Caroline burst out laughing again, imagining quarterback Matt and the rest of the football team dressed in cheerleading uniforms as part of a practical joke that backfired.

"So what about you?" he asked with a laugh.

"I like to think I didn't look as ridiculous in a cheerleading uniform," she responded with a giggle.

"Ridiculous?" Matt asked with an expression of feigned offense. "I'll let you know the entire football team and cheerleading squad told me that the short skirt really showed off my defined calves."

"Oh I'm sure it did. It was probably a good thing you didn't try out for the squad because then the other cheerleaders would've never been able to compete with you for the attention," Caroline teased.

"I'm glad we're on the same page here," Matt said with a small laugh that quickly disappeared when he spotted somebody behind them. "Uh-oh," he said in a low voice. "Don't turn now but Tatia Petrova just walked in."

Caroline felt her entire body stiffen. _Seriously? I just can't get away from this woman!_

"Ugh she's everywhere," she huffed.

"I'm sorry," Matt said earnestly. "I only had to deal with her for a bit the night of the incident and that was more than enough for me. She's a real piece of work."

"That's putting it lightly," Caroline muttered darkly as she walked Tatia walked past them toward the back of the restaurant.

"I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries but I have to say I can't imagine what Klaus saw in her. I don't know the guy but I imagine he can't be anything like her if he's close friends with you," Matt commented.

"I wondered the same thing. Who knows, might've been her whiny voice, fake innocent smile, her big dumb hair and those lies that come out of her like carbon dioxide," she said in that same dark tone.

"Wow, somebody sounds like they're a fan," Matt said with an arched eyebrow.

Caroline laughed a little awkwardly. She had not intended to say all of that out loud in front of Matt.

"How about we talk about something that won't make me lose my appetite?" she said with a small and awkward laugh.

He looked at her curiously before slightly shaking his head.

"Okay, let's talk about my calves again," he said.

Caroline shook her head and laughed a little, feeling some of her previous irritation simmering.

"What'd we miss?" she heard Katherine ask right then causing her to turn so quickly she almost was sure she came dangerously close to snapping her neck.

"Katherine?" she started to ask when she caught sight of who was behind her. "Klaus," she said a little breathlessly as she met his gaze and subconsciously dropped her gaze to his lips for a millisecond but quickly snapped it back to his again only to see him slightly smirking.

Feeling the color rushing to her face, she broke away from his gaze and turned back to see Katherine scooting into the booth next to Matt leaving Klaus to have to sit next to her.

"Do you mind if we join you?" he asked, glancing at Matt before turning his attention fully on her.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out and thankfully, Matt spoke up.

"No by all means," he answered with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

As she felt Klaus slide in next to her, she had the sudden urge to jump over the booth and run away as quickly as possible. _This is not how our first encounter was supposed to go!_

"What are you doing here?" she managed to ask, glaring at Katherine who was sitting with an obviously smug smile as she looked between the two of them.

"Klaus and I were just coming to grab some lunch when we saw you two sitting here," Katherine answered innocently as she tried to catch the waitress' attention.

"I didn't realize you and Klaus grabbed lunch together," Caroline said with an arched eyebrow, giving her a pointed look. She wanted to turn and look at Klaus but she couldn't bring herself to do it just yet. As soon as she had seen him, the memories of the other night came flooding full-speed back to her and now that she was this close to him, it was hard to concentrate on anything other than how much she wanted to feel his arms around her again and maybe feel something else too…_Stop it Caroline!_

"It's not a regular occurrence," Katherine shrugged taking the menu that the waitress brought over.

"Does it bother you that we're here?" he asked a little tensely, noticing how she was avoiding looking directly at him.

"No of course not," she said in a voice that came out in a higher pitch than was normal for her. _Pull yourself together!_

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes after they placed their order. Caroline found herself trying to resist the urge to glance at Klaus but was failing miserably. It was bad enough that she seemed to have no self control but it was even worst when he caught her looking every time. She was burning to ask him a million questions about what happened that night but she couldn't very well do that in front of Matt or Katherine. _Especially Katherine._ She felt him shift right then and his arm accidentally brushed against hers causing that part of her body to react immediately. She had been in a closer proximity than this with him before but after that night, something had changed. If she hadn't realized it before, her body was definitely letting her know now.

"So what were you two talking about before we interrupted?" Katherine asked in an obvious attempt to fill the awkward silence.

"We were just exchanging embarrassing stories, or at least I was anyway. Caroline conveniently forgot to tell me hers," Matt said giving her a small smile.

"Oh have I got some stories about Caroline," Katherine said with a wicked grin as Klaus chuckled next to her.

"Don't you dare say anything! Either of you," she warned looking at Katherine before finally turning her gaze to Klaus.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Klaus answered with an amused smirk making her wonder which embarrassing story he was thinking about just then. Heavens knew how many embarrassing stories he not only knew about but had also witnessed firsthand.

"Come on Caroline, you have to tell me," Matt said with a small smile. "I told you mine it's only fair you share one with me as well."

"Fine," Caroline relented grudgingly. "But _everyone _at this table has to tell an embarrassing story too," she added looking at Katherine and Klaus pointedly as she said this. Why should they get out of this after all?

When they both conceded, well at least she thought they did, Klaus more or less shrugged his shoulders, she racked through her brain trying to find the least embarrassing story she could think of.

"Okay, there was one morning I was going on my usual morning jog with Klaus at the town park. It was a beautiful day so we took our time stretching and warming up-" she was saying but stopped when she heard Klaus chuckle next to her, having already figured out what story she was choosing to tell. She playfully rolled her eyes before continuing. "Anyway, we were stretching when this guy that was _very_ easy on the eyes came and started stretching close to us. I couldn't help but glance at him-"

"Stare at him," Klaus corrected giving her a pointed look when she opened her mouth to argue.

"I _noticed_ him and after a couple of minutes, he kind of noticed me too," Caroline said with an impish grin.

"Quit stalling and get to the embarrassing part," Katherine said impatiently.

Caroline shot her a look before continuing.

"He kind of smiled at me before he took off on his jog just about the same time that Klaus and I were ready to take off on our jog as well," she continued.

"Or so she claims to this day," Klaus muttered dryly.

"Do you want to tell this story?" she asked as she turned to glare at him.

"I wouldn't mind-" he started to say with a smirk.

"Too bad! So listen and quit interrupting," she said quickly, knowing he would probably go into details she planned on omitting. She rolled her eyes and smirked at him when she saw his amused expression.

"We took off on our jog and it just so happened that this guy's route was more or less the same as ours," she continued, already bracing herself for Klaus to interrupt when she said this last part. Truthfully this guy had a completely different route.

Sure enough she saw Klaus turn to look at her with raised eyebrows and an incredulous expression but he didn't interrupt.

"We kept jogging and were pretty much jogging alongside him for a good while. I kept glancing at him and he kept glancing at me and giving flirtatious smiles and you know, it was all great until I didn't watch my step because I was distracted and I ended up falling and rolling all the way down the hill," she finished, cringing at the memory of how ridiculous she looked and as she heard Katherine and Matt laughing she knew they were imagining it too.

"So what did Casanova do when he saw you fall?" Matt asked with a small laugh.

"I don't know," Caroline said with a laugh. "One minute I'm flirting the next I'm falling through branches. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill I had scratches on my face and arms and like the perfect cherry on top, I had sprained my ankle so poor Klaus had to carry me all the way back," she recalled with a laugh.

She turned to look at him and gave him an appreciative smile as she remembered how he had quickly rushed down to help her, gently checking her cuts and ankle.

"I think you got more of an exercise that day than you bargained for," she said with a small laugh.

He met her gaze and gave her a dimpled smile before shrugging.

"I didn't mind," he said simply, keeping his gaze on hers. "It was the least I could do."

Caroline smiled, thankful that despite what happened between them the other night, they still had their connection and they could still be _them_.

"Good old Klaus to the rescue," Katherine commented, giving a pointed look to the two of them. "I can think of another time he came to your rescue. It was karaoke night remember?"

They both groaned in protest at the same time and then turned to look at each other, with Caroline shooting him a curious look before turning back to Katherine.

"We agreed only _one_ embarrassing story," Caroline complained.

"Then this will be Klaus' embarrassing story. We both know he won't tell his story on his own," Katherine said with a mischievous smile before she continued, completely ignoring the irritated look Klaus was giving her. "It all started on a fine karaoke night just like any other. It was a group of us just hanging out, having fun, having a few drinks before my friend Caroline here, had a few too many drinks and decided she wanted to sign up for karaoke."

"You sing karaoke?" Matt asked with an amused look and only laughed when Caroline shook her head, obviously mortified.

"The way it worked was you signed up, sang your song when you were called and then you got off the stage so the next person could take their turn. Well Caroline decided in her alcohol infused state, that she didn't want to play by the rules and chose to stay up there and sing a few more songs," Katherine continued.

"What were you singing?" Matt asked with a laugh.

"'Gives You Hell', 'Rolling in the Deep', and who knows what else. I honestly lost track after the fifth song," Katherine said. "This was becoming the 'Caroline' show and other people wanted to take a turn too so after the end of one of her songs, Klaus went up there to go get her or so he thought at first."

"Okay, that's enough of that," Klaus said with an irritated undertone but Katherine continued as if nobody had spoken.

"As soon as Caroline saw Klaus get on the stage it was like she was told she had won the lottery. Her entire face lit up and she quickly rushed to grab his hand and pull him onto the center of the stage with her. When she saw that he was trying to get her _off_ the stage she started singing into the microphone and told the crowd to welcome her singing partner," Katherine continued telling the story, the amusement evident in her voice.

"So she made you do a duet?" Matt asked with a laugh. "What did you sing?"

Caroline felt her face burning at the memory. How the hell was this an embarrassing story about Klaus? _It was another embarrassing story about her!_

"Oh baby you got what I need," Katherine answered in a singsong voice. "But you say I'm just a friend."

Caroline was sure her face was five shades deeper and she did not dare to turn to look at Klaus at the moment. She tried to block that night from her memory but of course Katherine would choose to bring it up. She started out singing songs dedicated to Tyler and she did not know what had possessed her but when she saw Klaus get on that stage, that song had popped into her head and so that was the song she sang. To all of her friends that had just been another song she had sung in her drunken state but she deep down she had always wondered if that had really been the case_._

"She tried to get Klaus to sing along but he refused. She even tried to force him to sing by staying quiet but he still refused so the crowd started booing," Katherine continued with a laugh.

"If I recall correctly, it was you who initiated the booing," Klaus muttered darkly.

Katherine simply shrugged innocently and looked at the two of them, waiting to see their reactions. Something about that last story caused a shift in the atmosphere and they all drifted back to an awkward silence. The silence was interrupted however, when they had an unwelcome visitor come up to their table.

"Klaus, I thought that was you. Can we talk?" Tatia said in soft voice, not bothering to greet or even acknowledge anyone else at the table.

Caroline instantly felt her body stiffen in annoyance at not just the sight of Tatia but seeing her talk to Klaus like they were still together.

"I can't imagine what you would want to talk about. I think all was said the last time we saw each other," he answered her coldly.

Tatia flinched at the harshness of his tone but quickly changed her expression to one of pitiful sadness.

"Klaus please, you don't understand what really happened," she said. "I found out what Marcel was really after and now that your brother has handed it to him-"

"What are you talking about?" Klaus interrupted and turned to look at Matt who coughed uncomfortably just then. "What's going on?"

Matt looked extremely uncomfortable right then and looked at Klaus with an apologetic look before he answered.

"I'm really not supposed to talk about it. My uncle wants to discuss things with you personally," he answered tensely.

Caroline saw the irritated expression that crossed Klaus' face before she saw him turn to look back at Tatia.

"What do you know?" he asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"We can talk about it _privately_," she said in a firm voice, shooting Caroline a dark look.

"That's fine I don't need you," he answered her coolly.

He turned to look back at Caroline and she could see the irritation and concern etched on his face and she knew he was desperate to find out what was going on.

"We need to talk," he said in a low voice, looking at her intently and she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

She sucked in a breath and felt the color rush to her cheeks before she nodded her head slowly.

"Today," he added, looking at her with that same intensity in his eyes that almost took her breath away.

"You know where to find me," she answered in a soft voice.

He nodded his head and finally looked away to turn to look back at Katherine.

"Don't worry I can catch a ride with them," Katherine answered simply.

Klaus nodded his head once more before excusing himself from the table and walking right past Tatia without another word to her. Caroline knew it was probably petty but something about the way Klaus seemed indifferent to Tatia brought her a sense of relief. This relief was short lived however, when she saw Tatia follow after him. She tried to hide the frustration and turned her attention back to Katherine and Matt but by the way they were looking at her, she knew that they were not fooled.

* * *

Klaus was barely out the door when he heard Tatia calling after him. He ignored her and kept walking toward his car and when he had almost reached it, she finally caught up to him.

"What do you want Tatia?" he hissed, his voice laced with anger.

"I want to talk to you," she answered in a voice that he could only assume was the best pleading voice she could fake. "You don't understand what really happened."

"I think I have a pretty clear idea of what happened, believe it or not I'm not that much of an idiot," he said through gritted teeth, his anger quickly threating to reel out of control.

"I loved y-"

"_Don't_! Don't you dare say that you loved me. You loved my money, you loved the perks that came attached, you loved _everything _but me!" he seethed, his features contorted in rage by this point.

"I did! I cared about you but you made sure to push me away because you always picked _her_ over me!" she cried out.

"So this is all my fault? My apologies Tatia I never realized that my relationship with my friend would push you into bed with another man!" he spat, his words laced with sarcasm and rage.

"I was confused and angry and Marcel took advantage. He made me feel wanted…and in a moment of weakness…"she said through tears.

"Well it looks like you took advantage of that moment of weakness too," he replied darkly, his jaw set in anger.

"That should have been you! It was Valentine's Day and you forgot about me!" she shot back.

He looked at her and said nothing, caught between a moment of guilt and anger. She took this opportunity to get closer to him and brought up a hand to the side of his face only to have him step back.

"Marcel only wanted to use me to get what he wanted and now that he has…"she said through more tears. "I should have never given in and let him be one more thing that came between us. I love you Niklaus and I miss you," she whispered.

Klaus felt the hate surge through him as he heard her last words and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to humiliate her the way she had humiliated him and made a fool of him the entire time they had been together. Even now, her words were nothing but lies and he knew it. So he allowed her this moment of fake security much like she had during the time they had been together. He watched her take a step toward him again and bring up her hands to the side of his face once more.

"I need you to feel complete again," she added in that same soft voice as she closed her eyes and slowly leaned in to him but stopped when she heard him laugh bitterly and remove her hands from his face.

"It's almost impressive really. You put on quite the show," he said darkly, the hate radiating from his eyes. "Answer me this. Was it worth it? Was he worth risking everything?"

She looked at him completely dumbfounded, seemingly at a loss of words.

"Goodbye Tatia. I hope you get everything you deserve in life," he said snidely as he moved past her. He had only taken a few steps when he heard her yell out after him again.

"You're not exactly innocent in all of this yourself so why don't you get off your high horse and take a good look in the mirror," she spat angrily. "Tell me that you never thought about her that way?"

He took in a deep breath but kept walking, not bothering to turn and face her.

"Goodbye Tatia," he repeated in an empty voice before he got into his car and drove away, hoping to leave her and her words behind him as he did.

* * *

Caroline stood over the sink, splashing her face with cold water trying to fight back the tears and control her anger. Right after Klaus had gotten up and left, they decided they should head out too and when they turned into the parking lot, she was surprised to see him and Tatia together, her eyes instantly focusing in on Tatia's hands cradling his face. She had felt a surge of hurt and anger collide when she had seen this, especially when she saw her lean in to kiss him. She saw him stop her and then she looked away as she got into Matt's car and tried to fight back the tears. She took little comfort in the fact that he had stopped her; all she could think about was how he had allowed her to get that far in the first place.

She knew she had no right to be upset, they were only friends and Caroline was the one to initiate the kiss between them but she had been genuinely burning to know why he had kissed her back and now she was sure it was only because he had been confused. _That's why he pulled back and ran away._ _Does he still want Tatia? _The thought made her feel sick to her stomach and she wanted so desperately to go find him and slap some sense into him. How could he still want her after what she did? Was he that foolish or did he just care for her that much? _No wonder he had been avoiding me_. _Ugh I'm so stupid! How could you even think for one second that someone like Klaus would look at you when he could get the Tatia's of the world? _She shook her head bitterly, fighting that insecure high school girl that she thought she had long left behind. _Obviously not. _She sighed in frustration and buried her face in her hands and was surprised to feel the first tears drop into her palms.

After several minutes, she finally composed herself after telling herself she couldn't stay hidden in the bathroom forever. She checked herself in the mirror once more and even though her eyes appeared red, nothing else indicated that she had been crying so she quietly left the restroom hoping not to run into anyone. When she finally reached her small office, she almost groaned out loud when she saw Katherine waiting for her.

"What do you need Katherine?" she asked tensely. _Please don't start asking about Klaus again._

Caroline had avoided answering all of Katherine's questions regarding Klaus, something that had not been an easy task.

"To know what's going on between you and Klaus. There was something off between the two of you and I saw how you reacted when you saw him with that bimbo Tata," Katherine answered in a serious voice as she took a seat on Caroline's desk. "You've dodged this far too long and now you're going to tell me _exactly_ what happened."

Caroline looked at her wanting to argue but she didn't have the energy to do it today. Truthfully she had wanted to talk to somebody about the whole thing since it happened but the two people she would normally go to about this were not options. One was Klaus and the other was Kitty but she had enough on her plate. So Caroline spent the next hour explaining to Katherine what had happened with Klaus but naturally Katherine kept interrupting and making her give more details and by the time she was done telling her the story, Katherine was looking at her with eyebrows that were arched so high they almost blended in with her hairline.

"I should kick your ass for keeping all of this from me," Katherine said finally.

"You're lucky I'm even telling you now," Caroline replied with an eye roll. "Seriously, that's all you're going to tell me? Normally you're brutally honest and giving your opinions even when people don't want them."

"Do you want me to be brutally honest?" Katherine asked with the amusement clear in her voice.

"Not really but I know you're going to tell me at some point anyway and honestly, right now I have no idea where to go from here so anything helps," Caroline sighed.

"Thanks for the flattery," Katherine responded with an eye roll. "Honestly I can't say I'm entirely surprised by this whole development. I kept telling you it was only a matter of time before you two made the jump between friends and-"

"We haven't made any jump, it was _one kiss_. One stupid meaningless kiss that should have never happened," Caroline grumbled.

Katherine "sneezed" and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry I must be allergic to bullshit," she said sarcastically. "You wanted to kiss him drunk or not, and we both know it."

"He's my friend-" Caroline started to argue when Katherine cut her off.

"So how often do you makeout with Stefan? Damon? Not David because that would just be weird-"

"What are you getting at Katherine?" Caroline asked in a voice stiff with annoyance.

"That you don't kiss your friends Caroline," she answered and quickly shot her a look when she saw her open her mouth to argue. "The fact that you _did_ kiss Klaus says that you two are obviously not just 'friends.' And you can argue that you were drunk or whatever but that's a lame excuse and we both know that too. You needed the excuse of drinking to do what you really wanted to do and now you're hiding behind that same excuse. You've made alcohol your scapegoat and sorry but that's just a bitch move."

"No please, don't hold back now," Caroline scoffed, her face starting to redden in anger.

"Wasn't planning on it," Katherine retorted. "You obviously wanted to kiss him because you feel something for him otherwise you wouldn't be jealous of that two-faced slut Titi."

"Tatia," Caroline corrected. She randomly thought about how Katherine had yet to get Tatia's name right even once.

"Whatever," Katherine replied with an eye roll.

"And I am _not _jealous," Caroline added indignantly. "I'm mad because I think he's being an idiot if he's taking her back but I'm not jealous. I have no right to be. We're just friends and if he's falling for her fake innocent smile, her big dumb hair and those poisonous words that come out of her mouth then I guess I have to suck it up and accept it."

"Nobody gets jealous because they have a right to. You get jealous when you care which you obviously do. And for the record, I don't think that Klaus would take that fake blow-up doll back if he knew how you really felt," Katherine said seriously. "Stop hiding behind the excuse of alcohol to admit how you really feel. You did it that night at the karaoke bar and you're doing it again now."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"You sang 'Just a Friend' to Klaus. It doesn't get any more obvious than that. And you denied it then and can continue to deny it now but we both know that that drunken girl on stage was admitting to her best friend exactly how she felt," she answered.

Caroline opened her mouth to argue but nothing came out.

"You have to stop looking for excuses and living in denial because one day he really will move on. Nobody can wait forever Caroline."

Caroline sat there not knowing what to say, wanting nothing more than to block out Katherine's words but she knew she was fighting a lost battle. _You know you've really screwed up when even Katherine starts to make sense…_

* * *

"Mr. Mikaelson, we were not expecting you for at least another hour," the receptionist at the desk said when she saw Klaus walk into the office.

"There was a change in plans," Klaus answered tensely. "Is Neil here?"

"Yes just a minute," the receptionist muttered quickly as she got up and led him back to the lawyer's office.

A couple of minutes later, Klaus was seated in an oversized chair in front of his lawyer who was eyeing him almost warily, something which was really starting to annoy Klaus even more.

"You said you needed to discuss the latest developments in my case," Klaus reminded him, his voice stiff with annoyance.

"Yes I do. There has been quite a development in your case as a matter of fact. Have you spoken to your brother?" Neil asked him somewhat cryptically.

"I don't see how my family interactions are relevant to my case," he responded with an eye roll, quickly losing his patience. "What did you wish to discuss with me?"

"Marcel has agreed to drop all charges against you," Neil answered after a moment, looking at Klaus closely to gauge his reaction.

"Why?" he asked in a low and tight voice as his mind scrambled to find a possible explanation. Whatever that explanation was, he knew it was not going to be good. "Why?" he repeated louder when he was answered with silence.

"He made a deal with your brother. We drew up the contract and it has been signed by the necessary parties," Neil finally answered in a strained voice as he leaned over to hand Klaus a thick manila envelope.

Klaus almost grabbed it out of Neil's hand in his hurry, quickly tearing it open to read the contents of this mysterious contract. His eyes quickly skimmed over the tiny print until he found what he was looking for. He felt a collision of anger and something else he couldn't identify as he continued to read.

"What is this?" he hissed as he continued to read the contract. "What the hell is this?" he almost yelled, his voice dripping with anger and his features contorted with rage.

"Your brother struck the deal with him and had us draw up the contract. We tried to dissuade him but he was adamant in his decision," Neil explained quickly, looking at Klaus with concern and sympathy.

"This wasn't his decision to make on his bloody own!" Klaus yelled as he threw the contract on the desk. "Make this contract null, void, I don't care what you need to do but this can't happen."

"It doesn't work that way. They've signed a legal contract, there's nothing I can do," Neil responded, shaking his head sadly.

Klaus took a deep breath to try and control himself. He could feel his temple throbbing and in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill Marcel and proceed to horribly mangle Elijah. Grabbing the contract off the desk, he stormed out of Neil's office and drove straight to their company seeking out Elijah. He would deal with him first because chances were that after he faced Marcel, the only thing he would be seeing for the rest of his days would be prison bars. He stormed into the company building and by that point he was positively livid. He went straight to Elijah's office only to find it empty. _Of course._

"Ah looks who decides to grace us with his presence. The prodigal son come to wreak more havoc," he heard Finn say from behind him.

Klaus spun around on his heel to face him, trying his best to refrain from taking out his anger on his eldest brother though by the looks of it, it was difficult to determine which Mikaelson was more enraged.

"Why have you come Niklaus?" Finn spat, making his name sound like a curse.

"Where is Elijah?" Klaus retorted, his voice laced with rage.

"Why should you care? You haven't cared in the past," Finn responded condescendingly, his eyes burning with rage.

"I am in no mood to deal with your petty insults. I need to speak to Elijah," he snapped back, moving closer to him until they were only a foot apart.

"What you need is to stop spreading your venom and destroying everything and everyone around you. You are toxic Niklaus. Since the moment you were conceived you have done nothing but wreak havoc on our family," Finn seethed. "Our entire family legacy has now fallen into the hands of your so-called friend whom _you_ brought into our business. And now we've essentially lost everything because of _you_. It's always you and it always will be you. The bastard child who cursed our family from the start."

Klaus felt every word Finn spoke hit him like a razor-sharp knife and before he knew what he was doing, he felt his fist connect with Finn's jaw and then he heard a few gasps from some of the employees who saw Finn fall to the ground.

"Let that be one more thing you add to the list of things I wreak havoc on," Klaus sneered before he stormed past him and left before anyone could stop him.

A while later he was storming into his apartment, clutching the cursed contract in his hand so tightly his hand was actually starting to feel numb. He angrily pulled it out again, rereading its content like a fool expecting to see something magically changed. Even as he reread it he couldn't believe what he was reading. Elijah was stepping down as President and pending board votes, Marcel would take his place. Elijah was also giving Marcel well over half of his share of stocks meaning Marcel now owned a little over half of the company. He now owned the majority of the shares, which essentially made him the owner.

"Elijah you bloody idiot," Klaus hissed as he angrily threw the contract on his couch. Growling in frustration, he walked to the bar and pulled out the strongest bottle of alcohol he had and took a large drink, trying to convince himself not to go to Marcel's house and kill him right then and there.

He spent the next few agonizing hours pouring through the entirety of the contract trying to find any loopholes, talking himself out of killing Marcel in a very slow and painful way, and replaying Finn's words in his head. When he heard a knock at his door, he was confused and was contemplating ignoring it when he heard Elijah's voice on the other side. Klaus felt his entire body tense and his jaw set in anger as he walked over to open the door.

"Niklaus," Elijah greeted, tension evident in his voice as well as he walked inside the apartment. "Finn called me earlier. He was very upset and mentioned you stopping by the office," he said, looking at him pointedly as he spoke. "You need to learn to control yourself and reel in your temper," he chastised.

"And perhaps you should learn to share things with your family before you make bloody decisions that affect everyone," Klaus snapped back, his anger quickly rising.

"So the kettle says to the pot," Elijah retorted. "Perhaps you need to learn to take your own advice."

"Don't make this about me! Why did you do it?" Klaus asked angrily.

"Don't make this about you?" Elijah asked incredulously. "This has everything to do with you!"

"Yes spare me the speech I've already heard all this from Finn," Klaus snapped angrily. "How could you have been so foolish and agreed to something like this?"

"I did it for you, to protect you!" Elijah said loudly, anger rising in his voice as well.

"I don't need protecting I was handling everything on my own!" he screamed back angrily.

"Marcel was pressing charges; you were facing prison time. Did you have any idea how serious the charges were?" Elijah asked angrily.

"Of course I knew how bloody serious the charges were Elijah I wasn't sticking my head in the sand for all of this. Why couldn't you trust me enough to take care of this myself? I got myself in this situation I could have gotten myself out!" he hissed.

Elijah shook his head in frustration.

"You are my brother Niklaus. I could not stand by and watch that vile man take you down when there something I could do," he said angrily. "If giving Marcel what he wanted meant protecting you than I would do it and know I would do it again. We are a strange and complex family and we have differences but we are family nonetheless and we have a pact: always and forever."

Klaus said nothing for a long time, processing his brother's words. He felt the tears burning in his eyes and he had to look away, ashamed to cry in front of him.

"I am telling you what I told Finn and what I will tell everyone else. Yes, I am a businessman and a rather good one and I made a foolish business decision but as a brother, I have no regrets," Elijah added in a serious voice. "Now you can be angry, you can yell but I did not come here to apologize for my actions, rather I came here to offer an explanation."

"Why would you do that for me after everything I've done? How I've treated you?" he managed to ask through the thick knot that had formed in his throat.

"We are family. I don't know at what point we became strangers and fell into indifference, a mistake I have truly come to regret but I don't think it's too late to fix it," Elijah answered honestly. "Maybe this is exactly what we needed."

Klaus said nothing, feeling the tears sting in his eyes and thinking about how this was far from over. Marcel had not won.

"As for how you've been acting lately, a rather wise person told me that it's when you push the hardest that you need someone the most," he added.

Klaus shook his head slightly, knowing exactly who and what conversation he was referring to.

"Caroline is indeed intelligent but sometimes she's just stubborn," he said in a low voice.

"Especially when it comes to you. She cares about you a great deal," Elijah said with an odd undertone and continued when Klaus said nothing. "And you care about her."

Klaus said nothing and neither one said anything after this as they sat in silence for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts.

"I know about what Finn said to you earlier," Elijah finally said. "Those words were spoken out of anger Niklaus. They are not true."

Klaus laughed darkly.

"You can't speak that for everyone brother," he said tensely.

"Growing up our father was always your hardest critic but over time you took it upon yourself to continue what he started. You choose to see yourself through his eyes and you have taken his hate and internalized it. Don't give him that satisfaction," Elijah said solemnly.

Klaus said nothing but by the way his body was tense and his quick breathing, Elijah knew he was listening.

"There are a great many people who care for you Niklaus, in fact there's a certain friend of yours that many would wish to have by their side," Elijah continued. "If you don't want to believe us because you feel we have some obligation to you as your family than believe that she cares about you for a reason."

Klaus swallowed hard, letting his brother's words sink in. He couldn't help but compare the difference between Elijah's words and Finn's words. Whose did he believe? After a long moment of silence, Elijah got up and moved to leave but stopped right before he reached the door and turned to face Klaus.

"Do not close yourself off to the possibility of being happy. Do not give our father the satisfaction of seeing you become a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Klaus looked up at him and met his gaze, neither one saying anything but they didn't have to. Klaus would never be able to convey the gratitude he felt to Elijah not just for what he did but for his words as well. As he met his brother's gaze, Elijah saw what Klaus could not communicate in words and giving him a final nod, Elijah turned and left, leaving Klaus alone to process everything that had happened that day. He sat in silence for a long time, thinking about everything and hearing Elijah's last words in his head. His thoughts drifted back to what Elijah had said about Caroline he couldn't help but ponder the truth to his brother's words. Caroline cared about him but did she care about him in the way he cared about her? He went back and forth in his mind with this, growing increasingly frustrated until he could no longer stand it. Without thinking about it any longer, he got up quickly and rushed out the door, with his destination clear in his mind. When he reached her house, he got out quickly trying not to think about what he was doing, knowing if he did he would talk himself out of it. He practically ran up the steps on her porch and was walking toward the door when he noticed Caroline sitting on her porch swing.

"Klaus," she said in a surprised whisper when she saw him.

He walked over to her, opening his mouth to speak but stopped when he approached her and saw her tear-stained face and puffy eyes that were still wet.

"Caroline what's wrong?" he asked tensely.

He saw her open her mouth but nothing came out at first. She looked down at her hands, the tears streaming down her face once more.

"Kitty got her test results…they're positive. She has Huntington's."

* * *

**Thank you for reading. Next chapter(s) very difficult to write but did want to put out there that Klaroline will still be very much be at the center of all of this. When it comes to them, I am not saying however long it takes; I am promising **_**soon. **_**Please share your thoughts with me, I'm really looking forward to them. Thanks!**


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